an 


Mississippi  Valley 
anJde  Great  Lakes 


Katharine  B.  Judson 


MYTHS  AND -LEGENDS  OF  THE 

MISSISSIPPI  VALLEY 

AND  THE 

GREAT  LAKES 


BY  THE  SAME  AUTHOR 


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MYTHS  AND  LEGENDS  OF  THE 

MISSISSIPPI  VALLEY 

AND  THE 

GREAT  LAKES 


Selected  and  Edited  by 

KATHARINE  B.  JUDSON 

AUTHOR  OF  "  MYTHS  AND  LEGENDS  OF  CALIFORNIA  AND  THE  OLD  SOUTHWEST, 
"MYTHS  AND  LEGENDS  OF  THE  PACIFIC  NORTHWEST,"  ETC.,  ETC. 


ILLUSTRATED 


CHICAGO 
A.  C.  McCLURG  &  CO, 

1914 


Copyright 

A.  C.  McCLURG  &  CO. 
1914 

Published  August,  1914 


9.  $all  Printing  (La.,  dljtrngo 


PREFACE 


MYSTERY,  magic,  and  manitoes  abound  in  the 
land  of  Hiawatha,  in  the  land  of  the  Ojibwas, 
among  the  green  islands,  graceful  and  beauti 
ful,  lying  amidst  the  dancing  blue  waters  when  the  sun 
shines  over  Gitche  Gomee,  the  Great  Water.1     Man 
itoes,  great  and  mighty,  lived  in  the  cool  depths  of  the 
mighty  forests,  in  the  rivers  and  lakes,  and  even  in  the 
snows  of  winter.    And  adventures  there  were  in  those 
early  days  amongst  these  islands  of  the  North,  when 
manitoes  directed  the  affairs  of  men. 

But  the  animal  fathers  lived  upon  the  earth  before 
there  came  the  "  two-legged  walkers."  There  were 
many  animals.  There  were  many  beavers.  It  was  the 
beavers  who  made  Gitchee  Gomee,  the  Great  Water. 
They  made  it  by  building  two  dams.  The  first  they 
built  at  the  Grand  Sault,  and  the  second  was  five  leagues 
below.  When  Great  Hare  came  up  the  river,  he  said, 
"  This  must  not  be  so."  Therefore  he  stepped  upon  the 
first  dam.  But  he  was  in  haste.  He  did  not  break  it 

1  Gitche  Gomee  is  Lake  Superior. 


298942 


PREFACE 

down;  therefore  there  are  now  great  falls  and  whirl 
pools  at  that  place.  But  at  the  second  dam,  Great  Hare 
stepped  upon  it  mightily;  therefore  there  are  now  few 
falls  and  only  a  little  swirling  water  at  that  place. 
Great  Hare  was  very  mighty.  When  he  chased  Beaver 
he  stepped  across  a  bay  eight  leagues  wide. 

Around  Michilimackinack  was  the  land  of  Great 
Hare.  There,  amongst  the  green  islets,  under  the  cool 
shade  of  wide  spreading  trees,  where  fish  leaped  above 
the  rippling  waters,  he  made  the  first  fish  net.  He 
made  it  after  watching  Spider  weave  a  web  for  catching 
flies. 

It  was  Wenibojo,1  who,  in  Ojibwa  land,  discovered 
the  wild  rice  and  taught  the  Indians  to  use  it.  He  first 
pointed  out  the  low  grassy  islands  in  the  lakes,  waving 
their  bright  green  leaves  and  spikes  of  yellowish-green 
blossoms.  He  showed  them  how  to  cut  paths  through 
the  wild-rice  beds  before  the  grain  was  ripe,  and  later, 
to  beat  it  into  their  canoes.  He  told  them  always  to 
gather  the  wild  rice  before  a  storm,  else  the  wind  would 
blow  it  all  into  the  water.  Therefore  the  Indians  use 
wild  rice  in  all  their  feasts.  They  even  taught  the  white 
men  to  use  it. 

When  the  snows  of  winter  lay  deep  upon  the  forests 

1  Wenibojo  is  only  a  variation  of  the  name  also  given  as  Manabush. 
Both  are  identical  with  Hiawatha. 

vi 


PREFACE 

of  the  North,  when  ice  covered  lakes  and  rivers,  then 
the  story  tellers  of  the  Ojibwas,  as  of  all  other  Indian 
tribes,  told  the  tales  of  the  olden  times,  when  manitoes 
lived  upon  the  earth,  and  when  the  animal  fathers 
roamed  through  the  forest.  But  such  stories  are  not 
told  in  summer.  All  the  woods  and  shores,  all  the  bays 
and  islands,  are,  in  summer,  the  home  of  keen-hearing 
spirits,  who  like  not  to  have  Indians  talking  about  them. 
But  when  the  deep  snows  come,  then  the  spirits  are 
more  drowsy.  Then  the  Indians,  when  North  West 
rattles  the  flaps  of  the  wigwams,  and  wild  animals  hide 
in  the  shelter  of  the  deep  forest,  tell  their  tales.  All 
winter  they  tell  them,  while  the  fires  burn  in  the  wig 
wams  —  tell  them  until  the  frogs  croak  in  the  spring. 

Tales  they  tell  of  how  Gitche  Manito,  the  Good  One, 
taught  the  Indians  how  to  plant  the  Indian  corn,  how 
to  .strip  and  bury  Mondamin,  and  how  to  gather  the 
corn  in  the  month  of  falling  leaves,  that  there  may  be 
food  in  the  camps  when  the  snows  of  winter  come. 
Tales  they  tell  of  Gitche  Manedo,  the  Evil  One,  who 
brings  only  distress  and  sickness  —  tales  of  the  land  of 
Hiawatha.  Mystery  and  magic  lay  all  about  them. 

It  is  a  far  cry  from  the  stories  of  the  North  along  the 
banks  of  the  Mississippi,  from  that  land  of  long  winters, 
through  the  country  of  the  mound  builders,  to  the 
sunnier  Southland;  yet  from  north  to  south,  around 

vii 


PREFACE 

the  glimmering  Indian  fires,  grouped  eager  men  and 
women  and  children,  listening  to  the  story  tellers. 

But  quite  different  are  the  tales  of  the  Southland  — 
of  the  Cherokees,  Biloxis,  and  Chitimachas.  They  are 
stories  of  wild  turkeys,  of  persimmons  and  raccoons, 
and  of  the  spirits  which  dwell  in  the  mountain  places 
where  none  dare  go.  Stories  also  are  they  of  Brer 
Rabbit  and  the  tar  wolf,  which  came  from  Indian 
slaves  working  in  the  fields  in  early  days,  through  the 
negro  slaves  working  beside  them,  to  the  children  of 
the  white  men. 

It  is  a  loss  to  American  literature  that  so  much  of 
the  legendary  history  of  these  Indian  tribes  has  gone, 
beyond  hope  of  recovery.  Exquisite  in  color,  poetical 
in  feeling,  these  legends  of  sun,  moon,  and  stars,  of 
snow,  ice,  lightning,  thunders,  the  winds,  the  life  of  the 
forest  birds  and  animals  about  them,  and  the  longing 
to  understand  the  why  and  the  how  of  life  —  all  which 
we  have  only  in  fragments.  Longfellow's  work  shows 
the  wonderful  beauty  of  these  northern  legends,  nor 
has  he  done  violence  to  any  of  them  in  making  them 
poetical.  His  picture  of  the  departure  of  Hiawatha, 
the  lone  figure  standing  stately  and  solemn,  as  the  canoe 
drifted  out  towards  the  glowing  sunset,  while  from  the 
shore,  in  the  shadow  of  the  forest,  came  the  low  Indian 

viii 


PREFACE 

chant,  mingling  with  the  sighing  of  the  pine  trees,  is 
truely  Indian.  For  the  mystical  and  poetical  is  strong 
in  the  Indian  nature. 

As  in  all  the  other  volumes  of  this  series,  no  effort 
has  been  made  to  ornament  or  amplify  these  legends  in 
the  effort  to  make  them  "  literary,"  or  give  them  "  lit 
erary  charm."  They  must  speak  for  themselves.  What 
editing  has  been  done  has  been  in  simplifying  them, 
and  freeing  them  from  the  verbose  setting  in  which 
many  were  found.  For  in  this  section  of  the  country, 
settled  before  it  was  realized  that  there  was  an  Indian 
literature,  the  original  work  of  noting  down  the  myths 
was  very  imperfectly  done. 

Thanks  are  due  to  the  work  of  Albert  E.  Jenks,  on 
the  wild-rice  Indians  of  the  upper  lakes;  to  James 
Mooney,  for  the  myths  of  the  Cherokees;  to  George 
Catlin,  for  some  of  the  upper  Mississippi  legends;  to 
the  well-known  but  almost  inaccessible  work  of  School- 
craft,  and  to  others. 

K.  B.  J. 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS 

PAGE 

The   Earth-Maker Winnebago I 

Creation Chitimacha 5 

The  Creation Wyandot 8 

Creation  of  the  Races     ....  Biloxi 12 

Story  of  the  Creation     ....  Ojibwa 14 

Creation  (a  fragment)     ....  Ojibwa 16 

Creation  of  the  Mandans     .     .     .  Mandan 17 

The  Flood Chitimacha 19 

The  Great  Flood  (a  fragment)     .  Mandan 20 

The  Great  Flood Menomini 21 

Origin  of  Fire Menomini 26 

The  Thunderers  and  the  Origin 

of    Fire Menomini 28 

The  Origin  of  Fire Chitimacha 31 

The  Gifts  of  the  Sky  God     .     .     .  Chitimacha 32 

Mondamin Ojibwa 34 

Mondamin Ottawa 37 

The  Corn  Woman Cherokee 40 

Discovery  of  Wild  Rice     .     .     .  Ojibwa 42 

Origin  of  Wild  Rice     ....  Ojibwa 44 

Origin  of  Winnebago     ....  Menomini 45 

The   Origin   of  Tobacco     .     .     .  Menomini 49 

Origin   of   Maple    Sugar     .     .     .  Menomini 51 

Manabush  and  the  Moose     .     .     .  Menomini 53 

Origin  of  Day  and  Night     .     .     .  Menomini 54 

Origin  of  the  Bear Cherokee 56 

Origin  of  the  Word   Chicago     .  Ojibwa 58 

Origin  of  the  Word  Chicago     .  Menomini 60 

The  Coming  of  Manabush     .     .  Menomini 61 

xi 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS 

PAGE 

The  Story  of  Manabush  .  .  .  Menomini 62 

Manabozho  and  West  ....  Ojibwa 65 

Manabush  and  the  Great  Fish  .  Menomini 69 

The  Departure  of  Manabush  .  .  Menomini  .....  72 

The  Return  of  Manabush  .  .  .  Menomini 74 

The  Request  for  Immortality  .  Menomini 75 

Peboan  and  Seegwun  ....  Ojibwa 77 

The  Grave  Fires Ojibwa 79 

The  Death  Trail Cherokee 82 

The  Duck  and  the  North  West 

Wind Ojibwa 84 

How  the  Hunter  Destroyed  Snow  Menomini 87 

The  Pipe  of  Peace Ojibwa 90 

The  Thunder's  Nest  ....  Ojibwa 92 

The  Pipestone Sioux 93 

The  Pipestone Knisteneaux 94 

Pau-puk-kee-wis Ojibwa 95 

lagoo,  the  Boaster Ojibwa 102 

Ojeeg,  the  Summer-Maker  .  .  Ojibwa 104 

Rabbit  Goes  Duck  Hunting  .  Cherokee 109 

Rabbit  and  the  Tar  Baby  .  .  .  Biloxi 1 1 1 

Rabbit  and  Tar  Wolf  ....  Cherokee 114 

Rabbit  and  Panther Menomini 116 

How  Rabbit  Stole  Otter's  Coat  .  Cherokee 118 

Rabbit  and  Bear Biloxi 122 

Why  Deer  Never  Eat  Men  .  .  Menomini 125 

How  Rabbit  Snared  the  Sun  .  .  Biloxi 128 

When  the  Orphan  Trapped  the 

Sun .  Ojibwa 130 

The  Hare  and  the  Lynx  .  .  .  Ojibwa  ......  134 

Welcome  to  a  Baby  ....  Cherokee 137 

Baby  Song Cherokee 139 

Song  to  the  Firefly Ojibwa 140 

Song  of  the  Mother  Bears  .  .  .  Cherokee 141 

The  Man  in  the  Stump  .  .  .  Cherokee 143 

xii 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS 

PAGE 

The  Ants  and  the  Katydids    .    .    Biloxi 144 

When  the  Owl  Married     .     .     .    Cherokee 145 

The  Kite  and  the  Eagle 147 

The  Linnet  and  the  Eagle     .     .     Ojibwa 148 

How  Partridge  got  his  Whistle     .    Cherokee 149 

How  Kingfisher  got  his  Bill     .     .    Cherokee 151 

Why    the    Blackbird    Has    Red 

Wings Chitimacha 153 

Ball  Game  of  the  Birds  and  Ani 
mals       Cherokee 155 

Why  the  Birds  Have  Sharp  Tails    Biloxi 158 

The  Wildcat  and  the  Turkeys     .    Biloxi 159 

The  Brant  and   the  Otter     .     .     Biloxi       161 

The  Tiny  Frog  and  the  Panther 163 

The  Frightener  of  Hunters     .     .  Choctaw  (Bayou  Lacomb)  166 

The  Hunter  and  the  Alligator     .  Choctaw  (Bayou  Lacomb)  167 

The  Groundhog  Dance    ....    Cherokee 169 

The   Racoon Menomini 171 

Why    the   Opossum    Plays    Dead    Biloxi 172 

Why  the  'Possum's  Tail  is  Bare    Cherokee 174 

Why  'Possum  Has  a  Large  Mouth  Choctaw  (Bayou  Lacomb)  176 
The    Porcupine    and    the    Two 

Sisters Menomini 177 

The  Wolf  and  the  Dog     .     .     .    Cherokee 179 

The  Catfish  and  the  Moose     .     .     Menomini 1 80 

Turtle Menomini 181 

The  Worship  of  the  Sun    ...     Ojibwa 185 

Tashka  and  Walo Choctaw  (Bayou  Lacomb)  189 

Sun  and  Moon Menomini 192 

The  Moon  Person Biloxi 193 

The  Star  Creatures Cherokee 194 

Meteors Menomini 195 

The  Aurora  Borealis Menomini 196 

The    West    Wind Chitimacha 197 

The   Lone   Lightning    ....    Ojibwa 198 

zlii 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS 

PAGE 

The    Thunders Cherokee 200 

Months   of   the  Year    ....    Natchez 201 

Why  the  Oaks  and  Sumachs  Red 
den  Fox 202 

The    Man    of   Ice Cherokee 205 

The  Nunnehi         Cherokee 207 

The   Little   People Cherokee 210 

War  Song Ojibwa 212 

The  War  Medicine Cherokee 213 

The  Coming  of  the  White  Man     .    Wyandot 214 


xiv 


ILLUSTRATIONS 

PAGE 

Early  Indian  drawing  showing  a  wrestling  bout      .     Frontispiece 

Early  Indian  pottery         20 

Wild  rice  tied  in  bunches  or  sheaves 42 

Wild-rice  kernels  after  threshing  and  winnowing     ....  42 

Birch-bark  yoke,  and  sap  buckets,  used  in  maple  sugar  making  52 

Picture  writing.    An  Ojibwa  Meda  song 84 

Permanent  ash-bark  wigwam  of  the  wild-rice  gathering  Ojibwa  104 

Shell  gorget  showing  eagle  carving 128 

Indian  jar  from  the  mounds  of  Arkansas 128 

Spider   gorgets 158 

Shell  pins  made  and  used  by  Indians  of  the  Mississippi  Valley  176 

Ojibwa  dancer's  beaded  medicine  bag 198 


MYTHS  AND  LEGENDS  OF  THE 

MISSISSIPPI  VALLEY 

AND  THE 

GREAT  LAKES 

THE  EARTH-MAKER 

Winnebago 

WHEN  Earth-maker  came  to  consciousness,  he 
thought  of  the  substance  upon  which  he  was 
sitting.  He  saw  nothing.  There  was  nothing 
anywhere.  Therefore  his  tears  flowed.  He  wept. 
But  not  long  did  he  think  of  it.  He  took  some  of  the 
substance  upon  which  he  was  sitting;  so  he  made  a  little 
piece  of  earth  for  our  fathers.  He  cast  this  down  from 
the  high  place  on  which  he  sat.  Then  he  looked  at 
what  he  had  made.  It  had  become  something  like  our 
earth.  Nothing  grew  upon  it.  Bare  it  was,  but  not 
quiet.  It  kept  turning. 

"  How  shall  I  make  it  become  quiet? "  thought 
Earth-maker.  Then  he  took  some  grass  from  the 
substance  he  was  sitting  upon  and  cast  it  down  upon 
the  earth.  Yet  it  was  not  quiet. 


MYTHS  AND  LEGENDS  OF 

Then  he  made  a  man.  When  he  had  finished  him, 
he  called  him  Tortoise.  At  the  end  of  all  his  thinking, 
after  he  came  to  consciousness,  he  made  the  two-legged 
walkers. 

Then  Earth-maker  said  to  this  man,  "The  evil 
spirits  are  abroad  to  destroy  all  I  have  just  created. 
Tortoise,  I  shall  send  you  to  bring  order  into  the 
world."  Then  Earth-maker  gave  him  a  knife. 

But  when  Tortoise  came  to  earth,  he  began  to  make 
war.  He  did  not  look  after  Earth-maker's  creation. 
So  Earth-maker  took  him  back. 

Then  he  sent  Hare  down  to  earth  to  restore  order. 
He  said,  "  See,  Grandmother,  I  have  done  the  work  my 
father  directed  me  to  do.  The  lives  of  my  uncles  and 
aunts,  the  two-legged  walkers,  will  be  endless  like 


mine." 


His  grandmother  said,  "  Grandson,  how  could  you 
make  the  lives  of  your  uncles  and  aunts  endless  like 
yours?  How  could  you  do  something  in  a  way  Earth- 
maker  had  not  intended  it  to  be?  Earth-maker  could 
not  make  them  thus." 

Hare  thought,  "  My  grandmother  must  be  related  to 
some  of  the  evil  spirits  I  have  killed.  She  does  not 
like  what  I  have  done,  for  she  is  saying  that  I  killed 
the  evil  spirits." 

Now  grandmother  heard  him  think.    "  No,  Grand- 


THE  MISSISSIPPI  VALLEY 

son,  I  am  not  thinking  of  that.  I  am  saying  that  our 
father  made  death  so  there  should  not  be  a  lack  of 
food  on  earth.  He  made  death  to  prevent  over 
crowding.  He  also  made  a  spirit  world  in  which  they 
should  live  after  death." 

Hare  did  not  like  what  she  said.  "  Grandmother 
surely  does  not  like  it,"  he  thought.  "  She  must  be 
related  to  the  evil  spirits." 

"  No,  Grandson,  it  is  not  so.  But  to  quiet  you,  your 
uncle  and  aunts  will  live  to  be  very  old."  Then  she 
spoke  again,  "  Now,  Grandson,  stand  up.  The  two- 
legged  walkers  shall  follow  me  always.  I  shall  follow 
you  always.  Therefore  try  to  do  what  I  tell  you. 
Remember  you  are  a  man.  Do  not  look  back  after 
you  have  started." 

Then  they  started  to  go  around  the  earth. 

"  Do  not  look  back,"  she  said. 

"  I  wonder  why  she  says  that,"  thought  Hare.  Then 
he  turned  his  head  the  least  little  bit  to  the  left,  and 
looked  back  to  the  place  from  which  they  had  started. 
Instantly  everything  caved  in. 

"Oh,  my!  Oh,  my!"  exclaimed  grandmother. 
"  Grandson,  a  man  you  are;  but  I  thought  you  were  a 
great  man,  so  I  greatly  encouraged  you.  Now  even  if 
I  wished  to,  I  could  not  prevent  death." 

This  she  meant,  so  they  say. 

3 


MYTHS  AND  LEGENDS  OF 

Then  they  went  around  the  earth,  to  the  edge  of  the 
fire  which  encircles  the  earth.  That  way  they  went, 
so  they  say. 


THE  MISSISSIPPI  VALLEY 


CREATION 

Chitlmacha 

THERE  was  a  Creator  of  All  Things.     This 
Great   Mystery   understood   all   things.     He 
had  no  eyes,  yet  he  could  see.     He  had  no 
ears,  yet  he  could  hear.    He  had  a  body,  but  it  could 
not  be  seen. 

When  the  earth  was  first  made,  the  Creator  of  All 
Things  placed  it  under  the  water.  The  fish  were  first 
created.  But  when  the  Creator  wanted  to  make  men, 
there  was  no  dry  land.  ^Therefore  Crawfish  was  sent 
down  to  bring  up  a  little  earth.  He  brought  up  mud 
in  his  claws.  Immediately  it  spread  out  and  the  earth 
appeared  above  the  waters.  Then  the  Great  Mystery 
made  men.  He  made  the  Chitimachas.  It  was  at 
Natchez  that  he  first  made  them. 

He  gave  them  laws  but  the  people  did  not  follow 
the  laws.  Therefore  many  troubles  came,  so  that  the 
Creator  could  not  rest.  Therefore  the  Creator  made 
tobacco.  Then  men  could  become  quiet  and  rest. 
Afterwards  he  made  women,  but  at  first  they  were  like 
wood.  So  he  directed  a  chief  to  teach  them  how  to 
move,  and  how  to  cook,  and  to  sew  skins. 

5 


MYTHS  AND  LEGENDS  OF 

Now  when  the  animals  met  the  Chitimachas,  they 
ridiculed  them.  For  these  men  had  no  fur,  and  no 
wool,  and  no  feathers  to  protect  them  from  storms,  or 
rain,  or  the  hot  sun.  The  Chitimachas  were  sad 
because  of  this. 

Then  the  Creator  gave  them  bows  and  arrows,  and 
taught  them  how  these  things  should  be  used.  He  told 
them  that  the  flesh  of  the  animals  was  good  for  food, 
and  their  skins  for  covering.  Thus  the  animals  were 
punished. 

The  Creator  taught  them  also  how  to  draw  fire  from 
two  pieces  of  wood,  one  flat  and  the  other  pointed; 
thus  they  learned  to  cook  their  food.  The  Creator 
taught  them  also  to  honor  the  bones  of  their  relatives ; 
and  so  long  as  they  lived,  to  bring  them  food. 

Now  in  those  days,  the  animals  took  part  in  the 
councils  of  men.  They  gave  advice  to  men,  being 
wiser.  Each  animal  took  especial  care  of  the 
Chitimachas.  Therefore  the  Indians  respect  the 
animals  which  gave  good  advice  to  their  ancestors, 
and  this  aids  them  even  today  in  time  of  need. 

The  Creator  also  made  the  moon  and  the  stars. 
Both  were  to  give  life  and  light  to  all  things  on  earth. 
Moon  forgot  the  sacred  bathing,  therefore  he  is  pale 
and  weak,  giving  but  little  light  to  man.  But  Sun 
gives  light  to  all  things.  Sun  often  stops  on  her  trail 

6 


THE  MISSISSIPPI  VALLEY 

to  give  more  time  to  the  Indians  when  they  are  hunt 
ing,  or  fighting  their  enemies.  Moon  does  not,  but 
always  pursues  his  wife  over  the  sky  trail.  Yet  he  can 
never  catch  up  with  her. 

The  mounds  in  the  Chitimacha  country  are  the 
camping  places  of  the  spirit  sent  down  by  the  Creator 
to  visit  the  Indians.  This  spirit  taught  the  men  how 
to  cook  their  food  and  to  cure  their  wounds.  He  is 
still  highly  honored. 


MYTHS  AND  LEGENDS  OF 


THE  CREATION 

Wyandot 

THERE  was,  in  olden  days,  something  the 
matter  with  the  earth.  It  has  changed.  We 
think  so.  We  think  the  Great  Mystery  made 
it  and  made  men  also.  He  made  them  at  a  place  called 
Mountains.  It  was  eastward.  When  he  had  made 
the  earth  and  these  mountains,  he  covered  the  earth 
over  with  something.  He  did  it  with  his  hands. 

Under  this,  he  put  men.  All  the  different  tribes  were 
there.  One  of  the  young  men  climbed  up  and  found 
his  way  to  the  surface.  It  was  very  beautiful.  Then 
a  deer  ran  past,  with  an  arrow  in  its  side.  He  followed 
it  to  where  it  fell  and  died.  He  looked  back  to  see 
its  tracks,  and  he  soon  saw  other  tracks.  They  were  the 
footprints  of  the  person  who  shot  the  deer.  He  soon 
came  up.  It  was  the  Maker  of  Men.  Thus  he  taught 
the  Indians  what  they  must  do  when  they  came  out  of 
the  earth.  The  creator  showed  the  Indian  how  to  skin 
the  deer,  and  prepare  it  for  food,  and  how  to  use  the 
skin  for  dress. 

When  everything  was  ready,  he  said,  "  Make  a  fire." 

8 


THE  MISSISSIPPI  VALLEY 

The  Indian  said,  "  I  do  not  know  how." 

Therefore  the  creator  made  the  fire.  Then  he  said, 
"  Put  the  meat  on  the  fire.  Roast  it." 

The  Indian  did  this,  but  he  did  not  turn  the  stick. 
Therefore  it  was  burned  on  one  side  and  not  roasted 
on  the  other.  So  the  creator  showed  him  how  to  turn 
the  stick. 

Then  the  Great  Mystery  called  all  the  Indians  up 
out  of  the  earth.  They  came  out  by  tribes.  To  each 
tribe  he  gave  a  chief.  Then  he  made  a  head  chief  over 
all  the  tribes,  who  should  teach  them  what  they 
should  do. 

The  Great  Mystery  also  made  Good  and  Evil.  They 
were  brothers.  One  made  pleasant  things  grow.  The 
other  spent  all  his  time  spoiling  his  brother's  work. 
He  made  stony  places,  and  rocks,  and  made  bad  fruits 
to  grow.  He  made  great  trouble  among  men.  He 
annoyed  them  very  much.  Good  had  to  go  back  and 
do  his  work  over  again.  It  kept  him  very  busy.  Then 
Good  decided  to  destroy  Evil. 

Therefore  Good  proposed  to  run  a  race  with  Evil. 
When  they  met,  Good  said,  "Tell  me  first  —  what  do 
you  most  fear?  " 

"  Bucks'  horns,"  said  Evil.  "  What  do  you  most 
fear?  " 

"  Indian  grass  braided,"  said  Good. 

9 


MYTHS  AND  LEGENDS  OF 

Then  Evil  at  once  went  to  his  grandmother,  who 
braided  Indian  grass.  He  got  a  great  deal  of  it.  He 
put  the  grass  in  the  trail,  and  put  it  in  the  limbs  of  the 
trees  along  the  trail  where  Good  was  to  run.  Good 
also  filled  the  path,  where  his  brother  Evil  was  to  run, 
with  bucks'  horns. 

They  said,  "Who  shall  run  first?"  They  argued 
about  it.  At  last  Good  said,  "  Well,  I  will,  because  I 
proposed  the  race."  So  he  started  off  and  Evil  fol 
lowed  him.  When  Good  became  tired,  he  pulled 
down  a  strand  of  braided  green  grass  and  chewed  it. 
Thus  he  ran  rapidly.  But  Evil  became  tired.  Yet 
Good  would  not  stop  until  he  reached  the  end  of 
the  trail. 

The  next  day  Evil  started  on  his  trail.  Everywhere 
he  was  stopped  by  the  branches  of  bucks'  horns.  They 
greatly  annoyed  him.  He  said  to  Good,  "  Let  me 
stop."  Good  said,  "  No,  you  must  go  on."  At  last, 
towards  evening,  Evil  fell  in  the  trail.  At  once  Good 
took  bucks'  horns  and  killed  him. 

Then  Good  returned  to  his  grandmother.  She  was 
very  angry.  She  loved  Evil.  That  night  Good  was 
awakened  by  a  sound.  The  spirit  of  Evil  was  talking 
with  his  grandmother.  Then  when  Evil  knew  Good 
was  awake,  he  said,  "  Let  me  into  the  wigwam."  But 
Good  always  said,  "  No." 

10 


THE  MISSISSIPPI  VALLEY 

At  last  Evil  said,  "  I  go  to  the  northwest  land.  You 
will  never  see  me  more.  Those  who  follow  me  will 
never  come  back.  Death  will  keep  them." 


ii 


MYTHS  AND  LEGENDS  OF 


CREATION  OF  THE  RACES  x 

Biloxi 

KUTI  MANDKCE,  the  One  Above,  made 
people.  He  made  one  person,  an  Indian. 
While  the  Indian  was  sleeping,  he  made  a 
woman.  Then  the  One  Above  went  away  to  find  food 
for  the  man  and  woman. 

After  he  left,  something  was  standing  there  upright. 
It  was  a  tree.  A  person  said,  "  Why  do  you  not  eat 
the  fruit  of  this  tree?  I  think  he  made  it  for  you 
to  eat." 

So  the  woman  pulled  off  some  fruit  and  stewed  it 
and  she  and  the  Indian  ate  it.  Shortly  after,  the  One 
Above  returned.  Now  he  had  gone  away  to  find  food 
for  them.  When  he  found  they  had  stewed  this  fruit, 
he  was  very  angry.  He  said,  "  Work  for  yourself. 
Find  your  own  food,  else  you  shall  be  hungry." 

When  the  One  Above  had  been  a  long  time  gone, 
he  sent  back  a  letter  to  the  Indians.  But  the  Indians 
did  not  receive  it,  because  the  Americans  took  it.  That 
is  why  Americans  know  how  to  read  and  write. 

1  Obviously  influenced  by  missionary  teaching,  but  a  most  curious 
myth. 

12 


THE  MISSISSIPPI  VALLEY 

Now  after  the  letter  came,  the  people  found  a  very 
clear  stream  of  water.  The  American  found  it  first 
and  lay  down  in  it;  therefore  he  is  very  white  all  over. 
Next  came  the  Frenchman,  but  the  water  was  not  so 
clear.  Then  came  the  Indians;  therefore  Indians  are 
not  of  light  complexion,  because  they  did  not  find 
the  water  when  it  was  clear.  Afterwards  came  the 
Spaniard,  and  he  was  not  white,  because  the  water  had 
become  very  muddy. 

Some  time  after  the  Negro  was  made.  The  One 
Above  thought  he  should  attend  to  work,  so  he  made 
the  Negro's  nose  flat.  And  by  this  time  the  water  was 
very  muddy,  and  the  stream  was  very  low.  So  the 
Negro  washed  only  the  palms  of  his  hands.  Therefore 
Negroes  are  very  black  except  on  the  palms  of  their 
hands. 


MYTHS  AND  LEGENDS  OF 


STORY  OF  THE  CREATION 

Ojibwa 

WHEN    Gitche   Manito,   the   Good   Mystery, 
created  the  earth-plain,  it  was  bare,  without 
trees    or    shrubs.      Then    he    created    two 
Indians,  a  man  and  a  woman.    Now  when  there  were 
ten  persons  on  the  earth-plain,  death  happened.    The 
first  man  lamented,  and  went  back  and  forth  over  the 
plain,  complaining. 

He  said,  "  Why  did  the  Good  Spirit  send  death  so 
soon?"  The  Good  Mystery  heard  this.  He  called  a 
great  council.  He  said,  "  Man  is  not  happy.  I  have 
made  him  very  frail,  therefore  death  happens.  What 
shall  we  do?" 

The  council  lasted  six  days,  and  there  was  not  a 
breath  of  air  to  disturb  the  waters.  The  seventh  was 
the  nageezhik,  the  excellent  day.  The  sky  was  blue 
and  there  were  no  clouds.  On  that  day  Gitche  Manito 
sent  down  a  messenger  to  earth.  In  his  right  hand  was 
a  piece  of  white  hare's  skin,  and  in  the  left  the  head  of 
a  white-headed  eagle.  On  each  was  the  blue  stripe 
of  peace. 

H 


THE  MISSISSIPPI  VALLEY 

The  messenger  said,  "  Gitche  Manito  sent  me.  He 
has  heard  your  words.  You  must  obey  his  commands." 
Then  he  gave  to  the  Indians  the  hare's  skin,  the  eagle's 
head,  and  a  white  otter  skin  with  the  blue  stripe  of 
peace. 

Thus  Gitche  Manito  taught  the  Indians  how  to 
make  magic  and  how  to  be  strong. 


MYTHS  AND  LEGENDS  OF 


CREATION 

(A  fragment) 

Ojlbwa 

ENG  ago,  Nokomis  came  down  from  Sky-land, 
but  remained  fluttering  in  mid  air.  There  was 
no  place  on  which  to  rest  her  foot. 

The  Fishes  at  once  held  a  great  council.  Now 
Tortoise  had  a  shell-covered  back,  very  broad.  After 
the  council,  he  rose  to  the  surface  so  that  Nokomis 
might  rest  upon  his  back.  Then  the  drift-masses  of 
the  sea  gathered  about  the  Tortoise.  Thus  the  land 
was  made. 

Then  Nokomis  found  herself  alone  on  the  land.  So 
she  married  a  manido  from  the  Sky-land.  Two  sons 
had  Nokomis  —  twin  brothers.  But  the  brothers  were 
not  friends.  One  was  a  good  huntsman;  the  other 
could  kill  no  game  at  all.  So  they  disputed.  Then 
one  brother  rose  to  the  Sky-land.  He  caused  the 
Thunders  to  roar  over  his  brother's  head. 

Now  the  sister  of  these  twin  brothers  was  the 
ancestor  of  the  Ojibwas. 

16 


THE  MISSISSIPPI  VALLEY 


CREATION  OF  THE  MANDANS 

Man  dan 

THE  Mandans  were  the  People  of  the 
Pheasants.  They  were  the  first  people  in  the 
world.  At  first  they  lived  in  the  earth.  Now, 
in  the  dark  Earth-land,  they  had  many  vines.  Then  at 
last  one  vine  grew  up  through  a  hole  in  the  Earth-plain, 
far  above  their  heads.  One  of  their  young  men  at  once 
went  up  the  vine  until  he  came  out  on  the  Earth-plain. 
He  came  out  on  the  prairies,  on  the  bank  of  a  river, 
just  where  the  Mandan  village  now  stands.1 

He  looked  all  about  him.  The  Earth-plain  was  very 
beautiful.  There  were  many  buffaloes  there.  He 
killed  one  with  his  bow  and  arrow,  and  found  it  was 
good  for  food. 

Then  the  young  man  returned  to  his  people  under 
the  ground.  He  told  them  all  he  had  seen.  They  held 
a  council,  and  then  they  began  to  climb  up  the  vine  to 
the  Earth-plain.  Some  of  the  chiefs,  and  the  young 
warriors,  and  many  of  the  women  went  up.  Then 

1 1834. 

17 


MYTHS  AND  LEGENDS  OF 

came  a  very  fat  woman.     The  chiefs  said,  "  Do  not 
go  up."    But  she  did,  so  the  vine  broke. 

The  Mandans  were  very  sorry  about  this.  Because 
no  more  could  go  up,  the  tribe  on  the  Earth-plain  is  not 
very  large.  And  no  one  could  return  to  his  village  in 
the  ground.  Therefore  the  Mandans  built  their  vil 
lage  on  the  banks  of  the  river.  But  the  rest  of  the 
people  remained  underground. 


THE  MISSISSIPPI  VALLEY 


THE  FLOOD 

Chitimacha 

ENG,  long  ago,  a  great  storm  came.  At  once  the 
people  baked  a  great  earthen  pot,  and  in  this 
two  of  them  saved  themselves.  The  pot  was 
held  up  on  the  surface  of  the  water.  Now  two  rattle 
snakes  were  also  saved  in  the  earthen  jar,  because  in 
the  olden  days  rattlesnakes  were  the  friends  of  man. 
In  those  days,  when  an  Indian  left  his  lodge  the  rattle 
snake  entered  it  and  protected  it  until  he  returned. 

When  all  the  land  was  flooded,  the  red-headed  wood 
pecker  hooked  his  claws  into  the  sky  and  so  hung  above 
the  waters.  But  the  flood  rose  so  high  that  part  of  his 
tail  was  wet.  You  can  see  the  marks  even  to  this  day. 

When  the  waters  sank,  he  was  sent  to  find  land.  He 
could  find  none.  Then  a  dove  was  sent  and  came  back 
with  a  grain  of  sand.  This  sand  was  placed  on  top  of 
the  great  waters  and  immediately  it  stretched  out.  It 
became  dry  land.  Therefore  the  dove  is  called 
11  Ground  Watcher." 


MYTHS  AND  LEGENDS  OF 


THE  GREAT  FLOOD 
(A  fragment) 

M  and  an 

THE  earth  is  a  large  tortoise.  It  moves  very 
slowly  and  carries  a  great  deal  of  earth  on  its 
back.  Long  ago  there  was  a  tribe  which  is 
now  dead.  They  used  to  dig  deep  down  in  the  earth 
for  badgers.  They  dug  with  knives.  One  day  they 
stuck  a  knife  far  down  into  the  earth.  It  cut  through 
the  shell  of  Tortoise. 

Therefore  Tortoise  at  once  began  to  sink  into  the 
water.  The  water  rose  through  the  knife  cut  until  it 
covered  all  the  ground.  All  the  people  were  drowned 
except  one  man. 

But  some  of  the  old  people  say  it  was  this  way. 
They  say  there  were  four  Tortoises,  one  in  the  East, 
one  in  the  West,  one  in  the  South,  and  another  in  the 
North.  Each  Tortoise  made  it  rain  for  ten  days. 
Therefore  the  water  covered  the  earth  and  all  the 
people  were  drowned. 


20 


From  Report  of  the  Bureau  of  American  Ethnology. 

EARLY  INDIAN  POTTERY. 


THE  MISSISSIPPI  VALLEY 


THE  GREAT  FLOOD 

M  en  o  mini 

MANABUSH l  wanted  to  punish  the  evil 
manidoes,  the  Ana  maqkiu  who  had  destroyed 
his  brother  Wolf.  Therefore  he  invented 
the  ball  game. 

The  place  selected  by  Manabush  for  a  ball  ground 
was  near  a  large  sand  bar  on  a  great  lake  near  Mack- 
inac.  He  asked  the  Thunderers  to  play  against  the  Ana 
maqkiu.  These  evil  manidoes  came  out  of  the  ground 
as  Bears.  One  chief  was  a  silvery  white  bear,  and  the 
other  a  gray  bear.  They  played  the  ball  game  all  day. 
Manabush  watched  the  game  from  a  tree  on  a  knoll. 

When  night  came,  Manabush  went  to  a  spot 
between  the  places  where  the  Bear  chiefs  had 
played  ball.  He  said,  "  I  want  to  be  a  pine  tree,  cut 
off  halfway  between  the  ground  and  the  top,  with 
two  strong  branches  reaching  out  over  the  places 
where  the  Bear  chiefs  lie  down."  At  once  he  became 
just  such  a  tree. 

1  The  Manabozho  of  the  Ojibwas. 

21 


MYTHS  AND  LEGENDS  OF 

Now  when  the  players  came  to  the  ball  game  the 
next  morning,  the  Bear  chiefs  at  once  said,  "  This  tree 
was  not  standing  there  yesterday." 

The  Thunderers  at  once  said,  "  Oh,  yes.  It  was 
there."  Thus  they  argued.  At  last  one  Bear  chief 
said,  "  This  tree  is  Manabush.  Therefore  we  will 
kill  him."  At  once  they  sent  for  Grizzly  Bear.  They 
said,  "  Climb  this  tree.  Tear  off  the  bark.  Scratch 
it."  Grizzly  Bear  did  so.  He  also  bit  the  branches. 

Then  the  Bear  chiefs  called  to  Serpent.  They  said, 
"  Ho,  Serpent!  Come  climb  this  tree.  Bite  it. 
Strangle  it  in  your  coils."  Serpent  at  once  did  so.  It 
was  very  hard  for  Manabush;  yet  he  said  nothing 
at  all. 

Then  the  Bear  chiefs  said,  "  No,  it  is  not  Mana 
bush.  Therefore  we  will  finish  the  game." 

Now  when  they  were  playing,  someone  carried  the 
ball  so  far  that  the  Bear  chiefs  were  left  entirely  alone. 
At  once  Manabush  drew  an  arrow  from  his  quiver 
and  shot  the  White  Bear  chief.  Then  he  shot  another 
arrow  at  Gray  Bear  chief.  He  wounded  both  of  them. 
Then  Manabush  became  a  man  again  and  ran  for  the 
sand  bar.  Soon  the  underground  Ana  maqkiu  came 
back.  They  saw  the  two  Bear  chiefs  were  wounded. 
They  immediately  called  for  a  flood  from  the  earth  to 
drown  Manabush.  It  came  very  quickly  and  followed 

22 


THE  MISSISSIPPI  VALLEY 

that  one.  Then  Badger  came.  He  hid  Manabush  in 
the  earth.  As  he  burrowed,  he  threw  the  earth  behind 
him,  and  that  held  the  water  back.  So  the  Ana  maqkiu 
could  not  find  Manabush.  Therefore  they  gave  up 
the  search  just  as  the  water  began  to  fill  Badger's 
burrow.  So  Manabush  and  Badger  returned  above 
ground. 

Now  the  underground  people  carried  their  chiefs 
to  a  wigwam.  They  said  to  an  old  woman,  "  Take 
care  of  them."  Then  Manabush  followed  them.  He 
met  the  old  woman.  He  took  her  skin  and  hid  himself 
in  it.  So  he  went  into  the  wigwam.  He  killed  both 
the  Bear  chiefs.  Then  he  took  the  skins  of  the  bears. 
When  he  came  out  of  the  wigwam  he  shook  a  network 
of  basswood  twigs,  so  that  the  Ana  maqkiu  might  know 
he  had  been  there. 

At  once  they  pursued  him.  Water  poured  out  of  the 
earth  in  many  places.  A  great  flood  came. 

Manabush  at  once  ran  to  the  top  of  the  highest 
mountain.  The  waters  followed  him  closely.  He 
climbed  a  great  pine  tree  on  the  mountain  top,  but  the 
waters  soon  reached  him.  Manabush  said  to  the  pine, 
"  Grow  twice  as  high."  At  once  it  did  so.  Yet  the 
waters  rose  higher.  Manabush  said  again  to  the  tree, 
"  Grow  twice  as  high." 

He  said  this  four  times,  yet  the  waters  kept  rising 

23 


MYTHS  AND  LEGENDS  OF 

until  they  reached  his  arm  pits.  Then  Manabush 
called  to  Kisha  Manido  for  help.  The  Good  Mystery 
at  once  commanded  the  waters  to  stop. 
/Mjmabush  looked  around.  There  were  only  a  few 
animals  in  the  water.  He  called,  "  Ho,  Otter!  Come 
to  me  and  be  my  brother.  Dive  down  into  the  water. 
Bring  up  some  earth  that  I  may  make  a  new  world." 
Otter  dived  down  into  the  water  and  was  gone  a  long 
time.  When  he  appeared  again  on  the  surface,  Mana 
bush  saw  he  was  drowned. 

Then  he  called  again,  "  Ho,  Mink!  Come  to  me 
and  be  my  brother.  Dive  down  into  the  water.  Bring 
me  some  earth."  Then  Mink  dived  into  the  water. 
He  was  gone  a  long  time.  He  also  was  drowned. 

Manabush  looked  about  him  again.  He  saw  Musk- 
rat.  He  called,  "  Ho,  Muskrat!  Come  to  me  and  be 
my  brother.  Dive  down  into  the  water.  Bring  me  up 
earth  from  below."  Muskrat  immediately  dived  into 
the  water.  He  was  gone  a  very  long  time.  Then  when 
he  came  up,  Manabush  went  to  him.  In  his  paw  was  a 
tiny  bit  of  mud.  Then  Manabush  held  Muskrat  up, 
and  blew  on  him,  so  he  became  alive  again. 

Then  Manabush  took  the  earth.  He  rubbed  it  be 
tween  the  palms  of  his  hands  and  threw  it  out  on 
the  water.  Thus  a  new  world  was  made  and  trees 
appeared  on  it. 

24 


THE  MISSISSIPPI  VALLEY 

Manabush  told  Muskrat  that  his  tribe  should 
always  be  numerous,  and  that  wherever  his  people 
should  live  they  should  have  enough  to  eat. 

Then  Manabush  found  Badger.  To  him  he  gave 
the  skin  of  the  Gray  Bear  chief.  But  he  kept  for  him 
self  the  skin  of  the  silvery  White  Bear  chief. 


MYTHS  AND  LEGENDS  OF 


ORIGIN  OF  FIRE 

M  en  o  mini 

WHILE  Manabush  was  still  a  young  man,  he 
said  to  Nokomis,  the  Earth,  "  Grandmother, 
it  is  cold  here  and  we  have  no  fire.     I  shall 
go  and  get  some." 

Nokomis  said,  "  Oh,  no!    It  is  too  dangerous." 
But  Manabush  said,  "  Yes,  we  must  have  fire." 
At  once  Manabush  made  a  canoe  of  birch  bark. 
Then  he  became  a   rabbit.     So  he  started  eastward, 
across  the  great  water,  to  a  land  where  lived  an  old 
man  who  had  fire.     He  guarded  the  fire  carefully  so 
that  people  might  not  steal  it. 

Now  the  old  man  had  two  daughters.  One  day  they 
came  out  of  the  sacred  wigwam  where  the  fire  was 
kept.  Behold!  There  was  a  little  rabbit,  wet  and  cold 
and  trembling.  They  took  it  up  at  once  in  their  arms. 
They  carried  it  into  the  wigwam.  They  set  it  down 
near  the  fire. 

So  Manabush  sat  by  the  fire  while  the  two  girls  were 
busy.  The  old  man  was  asleep.  Then  Rabbit  hopped 
nearer  the  fire.  When  he  hopped,  the  whole  earth 

26 


THE  MISSISSIPPI  VALLEY 

shook.  The  old  man  roused.  He  said,  "  My  daugh 
ters,  what  has  happened?" 

The  girls  answered,  "  Nothing  at  all.  We  picked 
up  a  little  wet  rabbit  and  .are  letting  him  dry  by  the 
fire."  Then  again  the  old  man  fell  asleep.  The  girls 
were  busy. 

Suddenly  Rabbit  seized  a  stick  of  burning  wood  and 
ran  out  of  the  wigwam.  He  ran  with  great  speed 
towards  his  canoe.  The  old  man  and  the  two  girls 
followed  him  closely.  But  Rabbit  reached  his  canoe 
and  paddled  quickly  away,  to  the  wigwam  of  No- 
komis.  He  paddled  so  quickly  that  the  fire  stick 
burned  fiercely.  Sparks  flew  from  it  and  burned 
Rabbit. 

At  once  Rabbit  and  Nokomis  gave  fire  to  the  Thun 
derers.  They  have  had  the  care  of  fire  ever  since. 


27 


MYTHS  AND  LEGENDS  OF 


THE  THUNDERERS  AND  THE 
ORIGIN  OF  FIRE 

M  en  o  mini 

WHEN  the  Great  Mystery  created  the  earth, 
he  made  also  many  manidos.  Those  of  ani 
mal  form  were  People  of  the  Underground, 
and  evil.  But  the  bird  manidos  were  Eagles  and 
Hawks.  They  were  the  Thunderers.  The  golden 
eagle  was  the  Thunder-which-no-one-could-see. 

Now  when  Masha  Manido,  the  Good  Mystery,  saw 
that  Bear  was  still  an  animal,  he  permitted  him  to 
change  his  form.  Thus  Bear  became  an  Indian,  with 
light  skin.  All  this  happened  near  Menomini  River, 
near  where  it  empties  into  Green  Bay.  At  this  place 
also  Bear  first  came  out  of  the  ground. 

Bear  found  himself  alone,  so  he  called  to  Eagle, 
"Ho,  Eagle!  come  to  me  and  be  my  brother."  So 
Eagle  came  down  to  earth  and  became  an  Indian. 

While  the  Thunderers  stood  there,  Beaver  came 
near.  Now  as  Beaver  was  a  woman,  she  became  a 
younger  brother  of  the  Thunderers.  Soon  after,  as 
Bear  and  Eagle  stood  on  a  river  bank,  they  saw  a 

28 


THE  MISSISSIPPI  VALLEY 

stranger,  Sturgeon.  They  called  to  him.  Therefore 
Sturgeon  became  Bear's  younger  brother  and  his  serv 
ant.  So  also  Elk  was  adopted  by  the  Thunderers. 
He  became  a  younger  brother  and  water  carrier. 

At  another  time,  Bear  was  going  up  Wisconsin  River 
and  sat  down  to  rest.  Out  from  beneath  a  waterfall 
came  Wolf. 

Wolf  said,  "What  are  you  doing  in  this  place?" 

Bear  said,  "  I  am  traveling  to  the  source  of  the  river. 
I  am  resting." 

Just  then  Crane  came  flying  by.  Bear  called,  "  Ho, 
Crane.  Carry  me  to  my  people  at  the  head  of  the 
river.  Then  will  I  make  you  my  younger  brother." 

Crane  stopped  and  took  Bear  on  his  back.  As  he 
was  flying  off,  Wolf  called,  "  Ho,  Bear.  Take  me  also 
as  your  younger  brother.  I  am  alone." 

Bear  said,  "  I  will  take  Wolf  as  my  younger 
brother." 

This  is  how  Wolf  and  Crane  became  younger  broth 
ers  of  Bear.  Wolf  afterwards  let  Dog  and  Deer  join 
him,  having  seats  in  the  council. 

Now  Big  Thunder  lived  at  Winnebago  Lake,  near 
Fond  du  Lac.  The  Thunderers  were  all  made  by 
Masha  Manido  to  be  of  benefit  to  the  whole  world. 
When  they  return  from  the  Southwest  in  the  spring, 
they  bring  with  them  the  rains  which  make  the  earth 

29 


MYTHS  AND  LEGENDS  OF 

green  and  the  plants  and  trees  to  grow.  If  it  were  not 
for  the  Thunderers,  the  earth  would  be  dry  and  all 
things  would  perish. 

Masha  Manido  gave  to  the  Thunderers  squaw  corn, 
which  grows  on  small  sticks  and  has  ears  of  several 
colors. 

The  Thunderers  were  also  the  Makers-of-Fire. 
Manabush  first  gave  it  to  them,  but  he  had  stolen  it 
from  an  old  man  living  on  an  island  in  the  middle  of 
a  great  lake. 

Bear  and  Sturgeon  owned  rice,  which  grew  abun 
dantly  in  the  waters  near  Bear's  village.  One  day  the 
Thunderers  visited  Bear's  village  and  promised  to  give 
corn  and  fire,  if  Bear  would  give  them  rice. 

The  Thunderers  are  the  war  chiefs  and  have  charge 
of  the  lighting  of  the  fire.  So  Bear  gave  rice  to  them. 
Then  he  built  a  long  tepee  and  a  fire  was  kindled  in 
the  center  by  the  Thunderers.  From  this  all  the  peo 
ple  of  the  earth  received  fire.  It  was  carried  to  them 
by  the  Thunderers.  When  the  people  travel,  the 
Thunderers  go  ahead  to  the  camping  place  and  start 
the  fire  which  is  used  by  all. 


30 


THE  MISSISSIPPI  VALLEY 


THE  ORIGIN  OF  FIRE 

Chitimacha 

FIRE  first  came  from  the  Great  Being,  Kutnakin. 
He  gave  it  into  the  care  of  an  Indian  so  old  that 
he  was  blind. 

Now  the  Indians  all  knew  that  fire  was  good,  there 
fore  they  tried  to  steal  it.  The  old  man  could  not  see 
them  when  they  came  stealthily  to  his  wigwam,  but  he 
could  feel  the  presence  of  anyone.  Then  he  would 
beat  about  him  with  his  stick  until  he  drove  away  the 
seekers  for  fire. 

Now  one  day  an  Indian  seized  the  fire  suddenly. 
At  once  the  Watcher  of  the  Fire  began  beating  about 
him  with  his  stick,  until  the  thief  dropped  the  fire. 
But  the  old  man  did  not  know  he  had  dropped  it.  He 
still  beat  about  him  so  fiercely  with  his  stick  that  he 
pounded  some  of  the  fire  into  a  log. 

That  is  why  fire  is  in  wood. 


MYTHS  AND  LEGENDS  OF 


THE  GIFTS  OF  THE  SKY  GOD 

Chitimacha 


E^G,  long  ago,  many  Indians  started  to  reach  the 
Sky-world.     They  walked   far  to  the  north 
until  they  came  to  the  edge  of  the  sky,  where 
it  is  fitted  down  over  the  Earth-plain.     When  they 
came  to  this  place,  they  tried  to  slip  through  a  crack 
under  the  edge,  but  the  Sky-cover  came  down  very 
tightly  and  quickly,  and  crushed  all  but  six.     These 
six  had  slipped  through  into  the  Sky-land. 

Then  these  men  began  to  climb  up,  walking  far  over 
the  sky  floor.  At  last  they  came  to  the  lodge  of  Kut- 
nakin.  They  stayed  with  him  as  his  guests.  At  last 
they  wished  to  go  back  to  their  own  lodges  on  the 
Earth-plain. 

Kutnakin  said,  "  How  will  you  go  down  to  the 
Earth-plain?" 

One  said,  "  I  will  go  down  as  a  squirrel."  So  he 
started  to  spring  down  from  the  Sky-land.  He  was 
dashed  to  pieces. 

Kutnakin  said  to  the  next,  "  How  will  you  go  down 
to  the  Earth-plain?" 

32 


THE  MISSISSIPPI  VALLEY 

And  this  man  also  went  as  an  animal.  And  so  the 
next  one  also.  They  were  dashed  to  pieces.  Then  the 
others  saw  that  they  were  crushed  by  their  fall. 

Therefore  the  fourth  said,  "  I  will  go  down  as  a 
spider."  And  he  spun  a  long  line  down  which  he 
climbed  safely  to  earth. 

The  fifth  said,  "  I  will  go  down  as  an  eagle,"  and  he 
spread  his  wings  and  circled  through  the  air  until  he 
alighted  on  a  tree  branch. 

The  last  one  said,  "  I  will  go  down  as  a  pigeon,"  and 
so  he  came  softly  to  earth. 

Now  each  one  brought  back  a  gift  from  Kutnakin. 
The  one  who  came  back  as  a  spider  had  learned  how  to 
howl  and  sing  and  dance  when  people  were  sick.  He 
was  the  first  medicine  man.  But  one  Indian  had  died 
while  these  six  men  were  up  in  the  Sky-land.  He  died 
before  the  shaman  came  down  to  earth  as  a  spider. 
Therefore  death  came  among  the  Indians.  Had  the 
shaman  come  back  to  earth  in  time  to  heal  this  Indian, 
there  would  have  been  no  death. 

The  one  who  came  back  as  an  eagle  taught  men  how 
to  fish.  And  the  pigeon  taught  the  Indians  the  use  of 
wild  maize. 


33 


MYTHS  AND  LEGENDS  OF 


MONDAMIN 

Ojibwa 

WHEN  the  springtime  came,  long,  long  ago,  an 
Indian  boy  began  his  fast,  according  to  the 
customs  of  his  tribe.     His  father  was  a  very 
good  man  but  he  was  not  a  good  hunter,  and  often 
there  was  no  food  in  the  wigwam. 

So,  as  the  boy  wandered  from  his  small  tepee  in  the 
forest,  he  thought  about  these  things.  He  looked  at  the 
plants  and  shrubs  and  wondered  about  their  uses,  and 
whether  they  were  good  for  food.  He  thought,  "  I 
must  find  out  about  these  things  in  my  vision." 

One  day,  as  he  lay  stretched  upon  his  bed  of  robes 
in  the  solitary  wigwam,  a  handsome  Indian  youth 
came  down  from  Sky-land.  He  was  gaily  dressed  in 
robes  of  green  and  yellow,  with  a  plume  of  waving 
feathers  in  his  hands. 

"  I  am  sent  to  you,"  said  the  stranger,  "  by  the  Great 
Mystery.  He  will  teach  you  what  you  would  know." 
Then  he  told  the  boy  to  rise  and  wrestle  with  him. 
The  boy  at  once  did  so.  At  last  the  visitor  said,  "  That 
is  enough.  I  will  come  tomorrow." 

34 


THE  MISSISSIPPI  VALLEY 

The  next  day  the  beautiful  stranger  came  again  from 
the  Sky-land.  Again  the  two  wrestled  until  the 
stranger  said,  "  That  is  enough.  I  will  come 


tomorrow." 


The  third  day  he  came  again.  Again  the  fasting 
youth  found  his  strength  increase  as  he  wrestled  with 
the  visitor.  Then  that  one  said,  "  It  is  enough.  You 
have  conquered."  He  sat  himself  down  in  the  wig 
wam.  "  The  Great  Mystery  has  granted  your  wish," 
he  said.  "  Tomorrow  when  I  come,  after  we  have 
wrestled  and  you  have  thrown  me  down,  you  must  strip 
off  my  garments.  Clear  the  earth  of  roots  and  weeds 
and  bury  my  body.  Then  leave  this  place;  but  come 
often  and  keep  the  earth  soft,  and  pull  up  the  weeds. 
Let  no  grass  or  weeds  grow  on  my  grave."  Then  he 
went  away,  but  first  he  said,  "  Touch  no  food  until 
after  we  wrestle  tomorrow." 

The  next  morning  the  father  brought  food  to  his 
son;  it  was  the  seventh  day  of  fasting.  But  the  boy 
refused  until  the  evening  should  come. 

Again  came  the  handsome  youth  from  the  Sky-land. 
They  wrestled  long,  until  he  fell  to  the  earth.  Then 
the  Indian  boy  took  off  the  green  and  yellow  robes, 
and  buried  his  friend  in  soft,  fresh  earth.  Thus  the 
vision  had  come  to  him. 

Then  the  boy  returned  to  his  father's  lodge,  for  his 

35 


MYTHS  AND  LEGENDS  OF 

fasting  was  ended.  Yet  he  remembered  the  commands 
of  the  Sky-land  stranger.  Often  he  visited  the  grave, 
keeping  it  soft  and  fresh,  pulling  up  weeds  and  grass. 
And  when  people  were  saying  that  the  Summer-maker 
would  soon  go  away  and  the  Winter-maker  come,  the 
boy  went  with  his  father  to  the  place  where  his  wig 
wam  had  stood  in  the  forest  while  he  fasted.  There 
they  found  a  tall  and  graceful  plant,  with  bright  silky 
hair,  and  green  and  yellow  robes. 

"  It  is  Mondamin,"  said  the  boy.    "  It  is  Mondamin, 
the  corn."  * 


1  Then  Nokomis,  the  old  woman, 

Spake,  and  said  to  Minnehaha: 
' 'T  is  the  Moon  when  leaves  are  falling; 

All  the  wild  rice  has  been  gathered, 

And  the  maize  is  ripe  and  ready; 

Let  us  gather  in   the  harvest, 

Let  us  wrestle  with  Mondamin, 

Strip  him  of  his  plumes  and  tassels, 

Of  his  garments  green  and  yellow." 

—  Hiawatha 

36 


THE  MISSISSIPPI  VALLEY 


MONDAMIN 

Ottawa 

WHEN  the  Ottawas  lived  on  the  Manatoline 
Islands,  in  Lake  Huron,  they  had  a  very 
strong  medicine  man.  His  name  was  Mass- 
wa-wei-nini,  Living  Statue.  Then  the  Iroquois  came 
and  drove  the  Ottawas  away.  They  fled  to  Lac  Court 
Oreilles,  between  Lake  Superior  and  the  Mississippi 
River.  But  Living  Statue  remained  in  the  land  of  his 
people.  He  remained  to  watch  the  Iroquois,  so  that 
his  people  might  know  of  their  plans.  His  two  sons 
stayed  with  him. 

At  night,  the  medicine  man  paddled  softly  around 
the  island,  in  his  canoe.  He  paddled  through  the 
water  around  the  beautiful  green  island  of  his  people. 
One  morning  he  rose  early  to  go  hunting.  His  two 
boys  were  asleep.  So  Living  Statue  followed  the  game 
trail  through  the  forest;  then  he  came  to  a  wide  green 
plain.  He  watched  keenly  for  the  enemy  of  his  people. 
Then  he  began  to  cross  the  plain. 

When  Living  Statue  was  in  the  middle  of  the  plain, 

37 


MYTHS  AND  LEGENDS  OF 

he  saw  a  small  man  coming  towards  him.  He  wore  a 
red  plume  in  his  hair. 

"  Where  are  you  going?  "  asked  Red  Plume. 

"  I  am  hunting,"  said  Living  Statue. 

Red  Plume  drew  out  his  pipe  and  they  smoked 
together. 

"Where  does  your  strength  come  from?"  asked 
Red  Plume. 

"  I  have  the  strength  common  to  all  men,"  said 
Living  Statue. 

"  We  must  wrestle,"  said  Red  Plume.  "  If  you  can 
make  me  fall,  you  will  cry,  '  I  have  thrown  you,  Wa 
ge  me  na! ' " 

Now  when  they  had  finished  smoking,  they  began  to 
wrestle.  They  struggled  long.  Red  Plume  was  small, 
but  his  medicine  was  strong.  Living  Statue  grew 
weaker  and  weaker,  but  at  last,  by  a  sudden  effort,  he 
threw  Red  Plume.  At  once  he  cried,  "  I  have  thrown 
you,  Wa  ge  me  na!  " 

Immediately  Red  Plume  vanished.  When  Living 
Statue  looked  at  the  place  where  he  had  fallen,  he  saw 
only  Mondamin,  an  ear  of  corn.  It  was  crooked. 
There  was  a  red  tassel  at  the  top. 

Someone  said,  "  Take  off  my  robes.  Pull  me  in 
pieces.  Throw  me  over  the  plain.  Take  the  spine  on 
which  I  grew  and  throw  it  in  shady  places  near  the 

38 


THE  MISSISSIPPI  VALLEY 
edge  of  the  wood.     Return  after  one  moon.    Tell  no 


one." 


Mass-wa-wei-nini  did  as  the  voice  directed.  Then 
he  returned  into  the  woods.  He  killed  a  deer.  So  he 
returned  to  his  wigwam. 

Now  after  one  moon,  he  returned  to  the  plain.  Be 
hold!  There  were  blades  and  spikes  of  young  corn. 
And  from  the  broken  bits  of  spine,  grew  long  pumpkin 
vines. 

When  summer  was  gone,  Living  Statue  went  again 
to  the  plain  with  his  sons.  The  corn  was  in  full  ear. 
Also  the  large  pumpkins  were  ripe. 

Thus  the  Ottawas  received  the  gift  of  corn. 


39 


MYTHS  AND  LEGENDS  OF, 


THE  CORN  WOMAN 

Cherokee 

ONE  day  a  hunter  could  find  no  game.  He  had 
but  a  few  grains  of  corn  with  him.  He  was 
very  hungry.  In  the  night  a  dream  came  to 
him  and  he  heard  the  sound  of  singing. 

Early  the  next  morning  the  hunter  rose,  but  again 
he  found  no  game.  When  he  slept  again  the  dream 
came  to  him,  and  again  came  the  sound  of  singing, 
but  this  time  it  was  nearer.  Yet  again  he  could  find 
no  game. 

The  third  night  the  dream  came  to  the  hunter,  and 
when  he  awoke,  he  still  heard  the  song.  Then  he  rose 
quickly  and  followed  the  song.  At  last  he  came  to  a 
single  green  stalk  of  Selu. 

The  stalk  spoke  to  him.  It  said,  "  Take  off  my 
roots,  and  take  them  with  you  to  your  wigwam.  To 
morrow  morning  you  must  chew  them  before  anyone 
awakes.  Then  go  again  into  the  woods.  So  will  you 
always  be  successful  in  hunting." 

The  green  stalk  gave  him  many  directions  for  hunt 
ing  the  elk  and  the  deer.  So  it  talked  until  the  sun 

40 


THE  MISSISSIPPI  VALLEY 

rose  to  the  very  top  of  the  sky  trail.  Immediately  the 
green  stalk  became  a  woman.  She  rose  gracefully  into 
the  air  and  vanished. 

Then  all  the  people  knew  that  the  hunter  had  seen 
Selu,  the  Corn,  wife  of  Kanati.  Therefore  the  hunter 
was  always  successful. 


MYTHS  AND  LEGENDS  OF 


DISCOVERY  OF  THE  WILD  RICE 

Ojibwa 

EtfG  ago,  Wenibojo1  made  his  home  with  his 
grandmother,  Nokomis.  One  day  Nokomis 
said  to  her  grandson,  "  Prove  yourself  a  man. 
Take  a  long  journey.  Go  through  the  great  forests. 
Fast  you.  Prepare  for  the  hardships  of  life." 

So  Wenibojo  took  his  bow  and  arrow  from  his  wig 
wam.  He  wandered  out  into  the  forest.  Many  days 
he  wandered.  Then  at  last  he  reached  a  broad 
lake,  covered  thick  with  heavy-headed  stalks.  But 
Wenibojo  knew  not  that  the  grain  was  food. 

So  Wenibojo  went  back  to  his  grandmother,  Noko 
mis.  He  told  her  of  the  broad,  quiet  lake,  with  the 
heavy-headed  stalks.  So  Nokomis  came,  and  in  their 
canoe  they  gathered  the  wild  rice  and  sowed  it  in 
another  lake. 

Again  Wenibojo  left  Nokomis.  With  his  bow  and 
arrow  he  wandered  far  into  the  forest.  Then  some 
little  bushes  spoke  as  he  walked.  "  Sometimes  they 

1  Another  form  of  the  Ojibwa  Manabozho,  or  the  Menomini 
Manabush. 


From  Report  of  the  Bureau  of  American  Ethnolog 


WILD  RICE  TIED  IN  BUXCHES  OR  SHEAVES. 


••HI 


From  Report  of  the  Bureau  of  American  Ethnology. 

WILD  RICE  KERNELS  AFTER  THRESHING  AND  WINNOWING. 


THE  MISSISSIPPI  VALLEY 

eat  us,"  they  said.  Wenibojo  made  no  answer.  Again 
the  bushes  spoke,  "  Sometimes  they  eat  us." 

"  Who  are  you  talking  to,"  he  asked. 

"  To  Wenibojo,"  they  said.  So  he  bent  down  and 
dug  up  the  bushes  by  the  roots.  The  roots  were  long, 
like  an  arrow.  They  were  good  to  eat,  but  Wenibojo 
had  fasted  too  long. 

After  a  while,  Wenibojo  wandered  on.  He  was 
very  hungry.  Many  bushes  spoke  to  him.  Many 
said,  "  Sometimes  they  eat  us,"  but  he  made  no  answer. 

One  day  he  followed  the  river  trail,  when  the  sun 
was  high.  Many  little  bunches  of  straw  were  growing 
out  of  the  water.  They  spoke  to  him.  They  said, 
"  Wenibojo,  sometimes  they  eat  us." 

So  Wenibojo  picked  some  of  the  grains  from  the 
heavy-headed  stalks  and  ate. 

"  You  are  good  to  eat,"  he  said.  "  What  do  they 
call  you?  " 

"  They  call  us  manomin/'  answered  the  wild  rice. 

Then  Wenibojo  waded  far  out  into  the  water.  He 
beat  out  grains  and  ate  many.  They  were  good  for 
food. 

Then  Wenibojo  remembered  the  grain  which  Noko- 
mis  had  sown,  and  he  returned  to  his  grandmother  and 
the  manomin  lake. 


43 


MYTHS  AND  LEGENDS  OF 


ORIGIN  OF  WILD  RICE 

Ojibiva 

NOW  one  evening  Wenibojo   returned   to  his 
wigwam   from  hunting.     He  had   found  no 
game.    As  he  came  towards  his  fire,  he  saw  a 
duck  sitting  on  the  edge  of  a  kettle  of  boiling  water. 
Immediately  the  duck  flew  away. 

Wenibojo  looked  in  the  kettle.  Behold!  Grains 
were  floating  upon  the  water.  Then  he  ate  the  broth 
made  with  the  grains.  It  was  good. 

So  Wenibojo  followed  the  trail  of  the  duck.  He 
came  to  a  lake  of  manomin.  All  the  birds  and  the 
ducks  and  geese  were  eating  the  grain.  Therefore 
Wenibojo  learned  to  know  manomin,  the  wild  rice. 


44 


THE  MISSISSIPPI  VALLEY 


ORIGIN  OF  WINNEBAGO 

M  en  o  mini 

ONE  day  Manabush  walked  along  the  lake 
shore.  He  was  tired  and  hungry.  Then  he 
saw,  around  a  sand  spit  jutting  far  out  into 
the  water,  many  waterfowl. 

Now  Manabush  had  with  him  only  a  medicine  bag. 
He  hung  that  on  a  manabush  tree  in  the  brush.  He 
put  a  roll  of  bark  on  his  back,  and  returned  to  the  lake 
shore.  He  passed  slowly  by  so  as  not  to  frighten  the 
birds.  Duck  and  Swan  suddenly  recognized  him,  and 
swam  quickly  away  from  the  shore. 

One  of  the  Swans  called  out,  "Ho!  Manabush, 
where  are  you  going?  " 

"  I  am  going  to  have  a  dance,"  said  Manabush. 
"  As  you  may  see,  I  have  all  my  songs  with  me." 

Then  he  called  out  to  all  the  birds,  "  Come  to  me, 
brothers!  Let  us  sing  and  dance." 

At  once  the  birds  returned  to  the  shore  and  walked 
back  upon  an  open  space  in  the  grass.  Manabush  took 
the  bundle  of  bark  from  his  back.  He  placed  it  on  the 

45 


MYTHS  AND  LEGENDS  OF 

ground,  got  out  his  singing  sticks,  and  then  he  said  to 
the  birds, 

"  Now,  all  of  you  dance  around  me  as  I  drum.  Sing 
as  loudly  as  you  can  and  keep  your  eyes  closed.  The 
first  to  look  will  always  have  red  eyes." 

So  Manabush  began  to  beat  time  upon  his  bundle 
of  bark.  The  birds  with  eyes  closed  danced  around 
him.  Then  Manabush  began  to  keep  time  with  one 
hand,  as  the  birds  sang  loudly.  With  the  other  he 
seized  a  Swan  by  the  neck.  Swan  gave  a  loud  squawk. 

"  That's  right,  brothers!  Sing  as  loudly  as  you  can," 
shouted  Manabush. 

Soon  he  seized  another  Swan  by  the  neck.  Then  he 
seized  a  Goose.  At  last  there  were  not  so  many  birds 
singing.  Then  a  tiny  duck  opened  his  eyes  to  see  why. 
At  once  he  shrieked,  "Manabush  is  killing  us! 
Manabush  is  killing  us!"  And  he  started  for  the 
water,  followed  by  the  rest  of  the  birds. 

Now  this  little  duck  was  a  poor  runner.  Manabush 
quickly  caught  him  and  said,  "  I  won't  kill  you;  but 
you  shall  always  have  red  eyes.  And  you  shall  be  the 
laughing  stock  of  all  the  birds." 

And  with  that  Manabush  pushed  him  so  hard,  yet 
holding  on  to  his  tail,  that  the  duck  went  far  out  into 
the  middle  of  the  lake  and  his  tail  came  off.  Because 
of  that  he  has  red  eyes  and  no  tail,  even  to  this  day. 

46 


THE  MISSISSIPPI  VALLEY 

Then  Manabush  gathered  up  the  birds  he  had  killed 
and  took  them  out  on  the  sand  spit.  He  buried  them  in 
the  sand  and  built  a  fire  over  them  to  cook  them,  but 
he  left  sticking  out  the  heads  of  some  and  the  legs  of 
others  so  he  would  know  where  they  were. 

But  Manabush  was  tired.  He  slapped  his  thigh  and 
said,  "  You  watch  the  birds  and  awaken  me  if  anyone 
comes  near  them."  He  stretched  out  on  the  sand  with 
his  back  to  the  fire  and  went  to  sleep. 

After  awhile,  Indians  came  along  in  their  canoes. 
They  saw  the  fire  and  the  roasting  birds.  They  went 
ashore  on  the  sand  pit.  They  pulled  out  the  birds  and 
ate  them.  But  they  put  back  into  the  sand  the  heads 
and  feet,  just  as  they  had  found  them.  So  they 
departed. 

Afterwards,  Manabush  awoke,  very  hungry.  He 
pulled  at  the  head  of  a  swan.  Behold!  The  head 
came  out,  but  there  was  no  bird.  He  pulled  at  the  feet 
of  a  goose.  No  bird  was  there.  So  he  tried  every  head 
and  foot;  but  the  birds  were  gone. 

He  slapped  his  thigh  again  and  asked,  "  Who  has 
been  here?  Someone  has  robbed  me  of  my  feast.  I 
told  you  to  watch." 

His  thigh  answered,  "  I  fell  asleep  also.  I  was  very 
tired.  See!  There  are  people  moving  away  in  their 
canoes!  They  are  dirty  and  poorly  dressed." 

47 


MYTHS  AND  LEGENDS  OF 

Then  Manabush  ran  to  the  point  of  the  sand  spit. 
He  could  see  the  people  who  were  just  disappearing 
around  a  point.  He  shouted,  "Winnebago!  Winne- 
bago!"  Therefore  the  Menomini  have  always  called 
their  thievish  neighbors  Winnebago. 


THE  MISSISSIPPI  VALLEY 


THE  ORIGIN  OF  TOBACCO 

M en  o  mini 

ONE  day  when  Manabush  was  passing  by  a  high 
mountain,  a  fragrant  odor  came  to  him  from 
a  crevice  in  the  cliffs.  He  went  closer.  Then 
he  knew  that  in  the  mountain  was  a  giant  who  was  the 
Keeper  of  the  Tobacco.  He  entered  the  mouth  of  a 
cave,  going  through  a  long  tunnel  to  the  center  of  the 
mountain. 

There  in  a  great  wigwam  was  the  giant.  The  giant 
said  sternly,  "  What  do  you  want?  " 

Manabush  said,  "  I  want  some  tobacco." 

"  Come  back  again  in  one  year,"  said  the  giant. 
"  The  manidoes  have  just  been  here  for  their  smoke. 
They  come  but  once  a  year." 

Manabush  looked  around.  He  saw  a  great  number 
of  bags  filled  with  tobacco.  He  seized  one  and  ran 
out  into  the  open  air,  and  close  after  him  came  the 
giant. 

Up  to  the  mountain  tops  fled  Manabush  leaping 
from  peak  to  peak.  The  giant  came  close  behind  him, 
springing  with  great  bounds.  When  Manabush 

49 


MYTHS  AND  LEGENDS  OF 

reached  a  very  high  peak,  he  suddenly  lay  flat  on  the 
ground;  but  the  giant,  leaping,  went  over  him  and 
fell  into  the  chasm  beyond. 

The  giant  picked  himself  up,  and  began  to  climb  up 
the  face  of  the  cliff.  He  almost  reached  the  top,  hang 
ing  to  it  by  his  hands.  Manabush  seized  him,  and 
drew  him  upwards,  and  dropped  him  down  on  the 
ground. 

He  said,  "  For  your  meanness,  you  shall  become 
Kakuene,  the  jumper.  You  shall  become  the  pest  of 
those  who  raise  tobacco."  Thus  the  giant  became  a 
grasshopper. 

Then  Manabush  took  the  tobacco,  and  divided  it 
amongst  his  brothers,  giving  to  each  some  of  the  seed. 
Therefore  the  Indians  are  never  without  tobacco. 


THE  MISSISSIPPI  VALLEY 


ORIGIN  OF  MAPLE  SUGAR 

M  en  o  mini 

ONE  day  Manabush  returned  from  the  hunt 
without  any  food.  He  could  find  no  game  at 
all.  So  Nokomis  gathered  all  their  robes,  and 
the  beaded  belts,  and  their  belongings  together.  They 
built  a  new  wigwam  among  the  sugar  maple  trees. 

Nokomis  said,  "  Grandson,  go  into  the  woods  and 
gather  for  me  pieces  of  birch  bark.  I  am  going  to 
make  sugar."  Manabush  went  into  the  woods.  He 
gathered  strips  of  birch  bark,  which  he  took  back  to 
the  wigwam.  Nokomis  had  cut  tiny  strips  of  the  bark 
to  use  as  thread  in  sewing  the  bark  into  hollow  buckets. 
Then  Nokomis  went  from  tree  to  tree  cutting  small 
holes  through  the  maple  bark,  so  that  the  sap  might 
flow.  She  placed  a  birch-bark  vessel  under  each  hole. 
Manabush  followed  her  from  tree  to  tree  looking 
for  the  sap  to  drop.  None  fell.  When  Nokomis  had 
finished,  Manabush  found  all  the  vessels  half  full. 

He  stuck  his  finger  into  the  thick  syrup.  It  was 
sweet.  Then  he  said,  "  Grandmother,  this  is  all  very 
good,  but  it  will  not  do.  If  people  make  sugar  so 

51 


MYTHS  AND  LEGENDS  OF 

easily,  they  will  not  have  to  work  at  all.  I  will  change 
all  this.  They  must  cut  wood  and  keep  the  sap  boiling 
several  nights.  Otherwise  they  will  not  be  busy." 

So  Manabush  climbed  to  the  very  top  of  a  tree.  He 
showered  water  all  over  the  maples,  like  rain.  There 
fore  the  sugar  in  the  tree  dissolved  and  flows  from  the 
tree  as  thin  sap.  This  is  why  the  uncles  of  Manabush 
and  their  children  always  have  to  work  hard  when  they 
want  to  make  sugar. 


O 
D 

c/3 


THE  MISSISSIPPI  VALLEY 


MANABUSH  AND  THE  MOOSE 

M  en  o  mini 

MANABUSH  killed  a  moose.  He  was  very 
hungry,  but  he  was  greatly  troubled  as  to 
how  he  should  eat  it. 

"  If  I  begin  at  the  head,"  he  said,  "  they  will  say  I 
ate  him  headfirst.  But  if  I  begin  at  the  side,  they  will 
say  I  ate  him  sideways.  And  if  I  begin  at  the  tail,  they 
will  say  I  ate  him  tail  first." 

He  was  greatly  troubled.  And  while  he  thus  spoke, 
the  wind  blew  two  tree  branches  together.  It  made  a 
harsh,  creaking  sound. 

"  I  cannot  eat  in  this  noise,"  said  Manabush,  and  he 
climbed  the  tree.  Immediately  the  branches  caught 
him  by  the  arm  and  held  him.  Then  a  pack  of  wolves 
came  and  ate  up  the  moose. 


53 


MYTHS  AND  LEGENDS  OF 


ORIGIN  OF  DAY  AND  NIGHT 

M  en  o  mini 

ONE  day  as  Wabus,  the  Rabbit,  traveled  through 
a  forest,  he  came  to  a  clearing  on  the  bank  of 
the  river.  There  sat  Totoba,  the  Saw-whet 
Owl.  The  light  was  dim  and  Rabbit  could  not  see 
well.  He  said  to  Saw-whet, 

"  Why  do  you  want  it  so  dark?  I  do  not  like  it.  I 
will  cause  it  to  be  light." 

Saw-whet  said,  "  Do  so,  if  you  are  strong  enough. 
Let  us  try  our  powers." 

So  Rabbit  and  the  Owl  called  a  great  council  of  the 
birds.  Some  of  the  birds  and  animals  wanted  Rabbit 
to  succeed  so  that  it  would  be  light.  Others  wanted  it 
to  remain  dark. 

Rabbit  and  Owl  began  to  try  their  powers.  Rabbit 
began  to  repeat  rapidly,  "  Wabon.  Wabon.  Wabon  " 
(Light.  Light.  Light),  while  Owl  kept  saying  as 
rapidly  as  he  could,  "  Uni  tipa  qkot.  Uni  tipa  qkot. 
Unitipaqkot"  (Night.  Night.  Night). 

If  one  of  them  should  speak  the  word  of  the  other, 
he  would  lose.  So  Rabbit  kept  repeating  rapidly, 

54 


THE  MISSISSIPPI  VALLEY 

"  Wabon.  Wabon.  Wabon,'*  while  Owl  said  as  rap 
idly  as  he  could,  "  Uni  tipa  qkot.  Uni  tlpa  qkot.  Uni 
tipa  qkot."  At  last  Owl  said  Rabbit's  word,  "  Wabon" 
so  he  lost. 

Therefore  Rabbit  decided  there  should  be  light. 
But  because  some  of  the  animals  and  birds  could  hunt 
only  in  the  dark,  he  said  it  should  be  night  part  of  the 
time.  But  all  the  rest  of  the  time  it  is  day. 


55 


MYTHS  AND  LEGENDS  OF 


ORIGIN  OF  THE  BEAR 

Cherokee 

ENG  ago,  before  the  white  man  came,  in  the  land 
of  the  Cherokees  was  a  clan  called  the  Ani 
Tsagulin.  One  of  the  boys  of  the  clan  used  to 
wander  all  day  long  in  the  mountains.  He  never  ate 
his  food  at  home. 

"  Why  do  you  do  so?  "  asked  his  father  and  mother. 
The  boy  did  not  answer. 

"  Why  do  you  do  so?  "  they  asked  many  days,  as  the 
boy  wandered  away  into  the  hills.  He  did  not  answer 
them. 

Then  his  mother  saw  that  long  brown  hair  covered 
his  body.  They  said  again,  "Where  do  you  go?" 
They  asked,  "  Why  do  you  not  eat  at  home?  " 

At  last  the  boy  said,  "  There  is  plenty  to  eat  there. 
It  is  better  than  the  corn  in  the  village.  Soon  I  shall 
stay  in  the  woods  all  the  time." 

His  father  and  mother  said,  "  No." 

The  boy  kept  saying,  "  It  is  better  than  here.  I  am 
beginning  to  be  different.  Soon  I  shall  not  want  to 
live  here.  If  you  come  with  me  you  will  not  have  to 

56 


THE  MISSISSIPPI  VALLEY 

hunt,  or  to  plant  corn.  But  first  you  must  fast  seven 
days." 

The  people  began  to  talk  about  it.  They  said, 
"  Often  we  do  not  have  enough  to  eat  here.  There  he 
says  there  is  plenty.  We  will  go  with  him." 

So  they  fasted  seven  days.  Then  they  left  their 
village  and  went  to  the  mountains. 

Now  the  other  tribes  had  heard  what  they  had 
talked  in  their  village.  At  once  they  sent  messengers. 
But  when  the  messengers  met  them,  they  had  started 
towards  the  mountains  and  their  hair  was  long  and 
brown.  Their  nature  was  changing.  This  was  because 
they  had  fasted  seven  days.  But  the  Ani  Tsagulin 
would  not  go  back  to  their  village.  They  said  to  the 
others : 

"  We  are  going  where  there  is  always  plenty  to  eat. 
Hereafter  we  shall  be  called  Yana,  bears.  When  you 
are  hungry,  come  into  the  woods  and  call  us,  and  we 
will  give  you  food  to  eat." 

So  they  taught  these  messengers  how  to  call  them 
and  to  hunt  them.  Because,  even  though  they  may 
seem  to  be  killed,  the  Ani  Tsagulin  live  forever. 


57 


MYTHS  AND  LEGENDS  OF 


ORIGIN  OF  THE  WORD  CHICAGO 

Ojibwa 

ONCE  an  Ottawa  hunter  and  his  wife  lived  on 
the  shores  of  Lake  Michigan.  Then  the 
hunter  went  south,  toward  the  end  of  the  lake, 
to  hunt.  When  he  reached  the  lake  1  where  he  had 
caught  beaver  the  year  before,  it  was  still  covered  with 
ice.  Then  he  tapped  the  ice  to  find  the  thinner  places 
where  the  beaver  families  lived.  He  broke  holes  at 
these  weaker  points  in  the  ice,  and  went  to  his  wigwam 
to  get  his  traps. 

Now  the  hunter's  wife  chanced  to  pass  one  of  these 
holes  and  she  saw  a  beaver  on  the  ice.  She  caught  it 
by  the  tail  and  called  to  the  hunter  to  come  and  kill  it 
quickly,  before  it  could  get  back  into  the  water. 

"  No,"  said  the  hunter,  "  if  I  kill  this  beaver,  the 
others  will  become  frightened.  They  will  escape  from 
the  lake  by  other  openings  in  the  ice." 

Then  the  woman  became  angry,  and  they  quarreled. 

When  the  sun  was  near  setting,  the  hunter  went  out 

1  Between  Milwaukee  and  Chicago,  going  south  to  where  Chicago 
now  stands. 

58 


THE  MISSISSIPPI  VALLEY 

on  the  ice  again,  to  set  more  traps.  When  he  returned 
to  his  tepee,  his  wife  had  gone.  He  thought  she  had 
gone  to  make  a  visit.  The  next  morning  she  had  not 
returned,  and  he  saw  her  footprints.  So  he  followed 
her  trail  to  the  south.  As  he  followed  her  trail,  he  saw 
that  the  footprints  gradually  changed.  At  last  they 
became  the  trail  of  a  skunk.  The  trail  ended  in  a 
marsh,  and  many  skunks  were  in  that  marsh. 

Then  he  returned  to  his  people.    And  he  called  the 
place,  "  The  Place  of  the  Skunk." 


59 


MYTHS  AND  LEGENDS  OF 


ORIGIN  OF  THE  WORD  CHICAGO J 

Menomini 

POTAWATOMI    Indians   used    to    live   in   the 
marshes  where  Chicago  now  stands.    They  sent 
out  word  to  the  other  tribes  that  hunting  was 
good.     Then    the    Menomini    Indians    went    to    the 
marshes  for  game.     In  the  night  their  dogs  barked 
much.     But  when  the  Menomini  Indians  reached  the 
spot  where  the  dogs  barked,  they  found  only  skunks. 


1  Schoolcraf t  gives  the  origin  of  the  word  Chicago,  as  follows : 

Chi-cag     The  animal  of  the  leek  or  wild  onion. 

Chi-cag-o-wunz     The  wild  leek  or  pole-cat  plant. 

Chi-ca-go     Place  of  the  wild  leek. 

It  would  really  seem,  from  the  myths  and  the  origin  of  the  word, 
as  given  above,  that  the  name  originated  from  the  great  amount  of 
skunk  weed  on  the  marshes  now  covered  by  the  city. 


60 


THE  MISSISSIPPI  VALLEY 


THE  COMING  OF  MANABUSH 

M en  o  mini 

WHEN  the  daughter  of  Nokomis,  the  Earth, 
died,  Nokomis  wrapped  her  new  baby  in 
soft  dry  grass.  She  laid  him  on  the  ground 
under  a  large  wooden  bowl.  Then  she  mourned  four 
days  for  her  daughter. 

At  the  end  of  four  days,  Nokomis  heard  a  sound  in 
her  wigwam.  It  came  from  the  wooden  bowl.  Then 
she  remembered.  She  took  up  the  bowl.  At  once  she 
saw  a  tiny  white  rabbit,  with  trembling  pink  ears.  She 
took  it  up.  She  said,  "  Oh,  my  dear  little  Rabbit.  Oh, 
my  Manabush."  She  took  care  of  him. 

One  day  Rabbit  hopped  across  the  wigwam.  The 
earth  shook.  At  once  the  evil  underground  spirits,  the 
Ana  maqkiu,  said  to  one  another,  "  What  has  hap 
pened?  A  great  manido  is  born  somewhere!  "  Imme 
diately  they  began  to  plot  against  him. 

In  this  way  Manabush  came  to  earth.  He  soon  grew 
to  be  a  young  man. 


61 


MYTHS  AND  LEGENDS  OF 


THE  STORY  OF  MANABUSH  * 

M  en  o  mini 

THE  daughter  of  Nokomis,  the  Earth,  is  the 
mother  of  Manabush,  who  is  also  the  Fire. 
Flint  first  grew  up  out  of  Nokomis,  and  was 
alone.     Then  Flint  made  a  bowl  and  filled  it  with 
earth.    Wabus,  the  Rabbit,  came  from  the  earth,  and 
became  a  man.    Thus  was  Manabush  created. 

Beneath  the  earth  lived  the  Underground  People, 
the  enemies  of  Manabush.  They  were  the  Ana  maqkiu 
who  annoyed  him  constantly,  and  sought  to  destroy 
him. 

Now  Manabush  shaped  a  piece  of  flint  to  make  an 
axe.  While  he  was  rubbing  it  on  a  rock,  he  heard  the 
rock  make  sounds : 

Keka     keka     ke  ka     ke  ka 
Goss      goss       goss       goss 

He  soon  understood  what  the  rock  was  saying:  that 
he  was  alone  on  the  earth.  That  he  had  neither  father, 

1  The  Manabozho  of  the  Ojfbwa  given  by  Longfellow  as  Hiawatha. 

62 


THE  MISSISSIPPI  VALLEY 

mother,  brother,  nor  sister.     This  is  what  Flint  said 
while  Manabush  was  rubbing  it  upon  the  rock. 

While  he  was  thinking  of  this,  he  heard  something 
coming.  It  was  Mokquai,  the  Wolf.  He  said  to 
Manabush,  "  Now  you  have  a  brother,  for  I,  too,  am 
alone.  We  shall  live  together  and  I  will  hunt  for  you." 

Manabush  said,  "  I  am  glad  to  see  you,  my  brother. 
Therefore  I  shall  make  vou  like  myself."  So  he  made 
him  a  man. 

Then  Manabush  and  his  brother  moved  away  to  the 
shore  of  a  lake  and  there  built  a  wigwam.  Manabush 
told  his  brother  of  the  evil  spirits,  the  Underground 
People,  who  lived  beneath  the  water.  He  said, 
"  Never  go  into  the  water,  and  never  cross  on  the  ice." 

Now  one  day  Wolf-brother  went  a-hunting.  It  was 
late  when  he  started  back.  He  found  himself  on  the 
shore  of  the  lake,  just  opposite  the  wigwam.  He  could 
see  it  clearly.  He  did  not  want  to  make  a  long  journey 
around  by  the  lake  shore;  therefore  he  began  to  cross 
on  the  ice.  When  he  reached  the  middle  of  the  lake, 
the  ice  broke.  The  Underground  People  pulled  him 
under  the  water  and  he  was  drowned. 

Now  Manabush  knew  this.  He  mourned  four  days 
for  Wolf-brother.  On  the  fifth  day,  while  he  was  fol 
lowing  the  hunting  trail,  he  saw  him  approaching. 

Wolf-brother  said,  "  My  fate  will  be  the  fate  of  all 

63 


MYTHS  AND  LEGENDS  OF 

our  people.  They  will  all  die,  but  after  four  days  they 
will  return."  Then  Manabush  saw  it  was  only  the 
shade  of  his  brother. 

Then  he  said,  "  My  brother,  return  to  the  place  of 
the  setting  sun.  You  are  now  called  Naqpote.  You 
will  have  charge  of  the  dead." 

The  Wolf-shade  said,  "  If  I  go  there,  and  others 
follow  me,  we  shall  not  be  able  to  return  when  we 
leave  this  place." 

Manabush  again  spoke.  He  said,  "  Go,  Naqpote. 
Prepare  a  wigwam  for  others.  Build  a  large  fire  that 
they  may  be  guided  to  it.  When  they  arrive  there  must 
be  a  wigwam  for  them." 

Thus  Naqpote  left  the  earth.  He  lives  in  the  land 
of  the  shades,  in  the  country  of  the  setting  sun,  where 
the  earth  is  cut  off. 


64 


THE  MISSISSIPPI  VALLEY 


MANABOZHO  AND  WEST 

Ojibwa 

MANABOZHO  lived  with  his  grandmother 
Nokomis,  the  Earth,  on  the  edge  of  a  wide 
prairie.  The  first  sound  he  heard  was  that  of 

an  owl.    He  quickly  climbed  down  the  tree.     He  ran 

to  Nokomis. 

"  Noko,"  he  cried,  "  I  have  heard  a  monido." 

Nokomis  said,  "  What  kind  of  a  noise  did  it  make?  " 

"  It  said,  Ko  ho,  Ko  ho!"  said  Manabozho. 

"  Oh,  it  is  only  a  bird,"  said  Nokomis. 

One  day  Manabozho  thought,  "  It  is  very  strange  I 

know  so  little  and  grandmother  is  so  wise.     I  wonder 

if  I  have  any  father  or  mother."    He  went  back  to  the 

wigwam.    He  was  very  silent. 

"  What  is  the  matter?  "  said  Nokomis. 
Manabozho  asked,  "  Have  I  no  father  or  mother?  " 
Now  his  mother  had  died  when  he  was  a  very  little 

baby,  but  Nokomis  did  not  want  to  tell  him.    At  last 

she  said,  "  West  is  your  father.    He  has  three  brothers. 

They  are  North,  East,  and  South.    They  have  great 

65 


MYTHS  AND  LEGENDS  OF 

power.    They  travel  on  mighty  wings.    Your  mother 
is  not  alive." 

Manabozho  said,  "  I  will  visit  my  father,"  but  he 
meant  to  make  war  on  him  because  he  had  learned  that 
his  father  had  not  been  kind  to  his  mother  and  he 
meant  to  punish  him. 

Manabozho  started  on  his  journey.  He  traveled 
very  rapidly.  He  went  very  far  at  each  step.  So  at 
last  he  met  his  father,  West,  on  the  top  of  a  high 
mountain.  West  was  glad  to  see  his  son.  Manabozho 
pretended  to  be  glad. 

They  talked  much.  One  day  the  son  asked,  "  What 
are  you  most  afraid  of  on  earth?  " 

"  Nothing,"  said  West. 

Manabozho  said,  "  Oh,  yes,  there  must  be  some 
thing." 

At  last  West  said,  "  There  is  a  black  stone  on  earth. 
I  am  afraid  of  that.  If  it  should  strike  me,  it  would 
injure  me."  West  said  this  was  a  great  secret. 

One  day  he  asked  Manabozho,  "  What  are  you  most 
afraid  of?" 

"  Nothing,"  was  the  answer. 

"  Oh,  yes,  there  must  be  something  you  are  afraid 
of,"  said  West. 

The  son  said,  "  le-ee  le-ee —  it  is  —  it  is  —  "  He 
seemed  afraid  to  mention  it. 

66 


THE  MISSISSIPPI  VALLEY 

West  said,  "  Don't  be  afraid!  "  Then  at  last  his  son 
said,  "  It  is  the  root  of  the  apukwa,  the  bulrush." 

They  quarreled  because  West  had  not  been  kind  to 
the  mother  of  Manabozho. 

Some  days  later  they  quarreled.  Manabozho  said, 
"  I  will  get  some  of  the  black  rock." 

"  Oh,  no !    Do  not  do  so,"  cried  West. 

"  Oh,  yes!  "  said  his  son. 

West  said  at  once,  "  I  will  get  some  of  the  apukwa 
root." 

"Oh,  no!"  cried  Manabozho,  pretending  to  be 
afraid.  "  Do  not!  Do  not!" 

"Oh,  yes!  "said  West. 

Manabozho  at  once  went  out  and  brought  to  his 
father's  wigwam  a  large  piece  of  black  rock.  West 
pulled  up  and  brought  in  some  bulrush  roots.  Mana 
bozho  threw  the  black  rock  at  West.  It  broke  in 
pieces.  Therefore  you  may  see  pieces  lying  around 
even  to  this  day.  West  struck  his  son  with  the  bulrush 
root.  Thus  they  fought.  But  at  last  Manabozho  drove 
West  far  over  the  plains  to  the  Darkening  Land.  So 
West  came  to  the  edge  of  the  world,  where  the  earth  is 
broken  off  short.  Then  he  cried,  "  Stop,  my  son!  I 
am  immortal,  therefore  I  cannot  be  killed.  I  will 
remain  here  on  the  edge  of  the  Earth-plain.  You  must 
go  about  doing  good.  You  must  kill  monsters  and 

67 


MYTHS  AND  LEGENDS  OF 

serpents  and  all  evil  things.    All  the  kingdoms  of  the 
earth  are  divided,  but  at  the  last  you  may  sit  with  my 
brother  North."  l 
Thus  Manabozho  became  the  Northwest  wind. 


1  Back  retreated  Mudjekeewis, 
Rushing  westward  o'er  the  mountains, 
Stumbling  westward  down  the  mountains, 
Three  whole  days  retreated  fighting, 
Still  pursued  by  Hiawatha 
To  the  doorways  of  the  West-Wind, 
To  the  portals  of  the  Sunset     .      .     . 

"  Hold,"  at  length  cried  Mudjekeewis, 

"Hold,  my  son,  my  Hiawatha! 
'T  is  impossible  to  kill  me, 
For  you  cannot  kill  the  immortal." 

—  Hiawatha 

68 


THE  MISSISSIPPI  VALLEY 


MANABUSH  AND  THE  GREAT  FISH 

Menomini1 

A^TER  his  brother  Wolf  had  died,  Manabush 
looked  about  him.    He  found  he  was  no  longer 
alone  on  earth.    There  were  many  other  people, 
the  children  of  Nokomis.     They  were  his  aunts  and 
uncles. 

The  evil  manidoes  annoyed  the  people  very  much. 
Therefore  Manabush  wished  to  destroy  them.  There 
fore  he  went  to  the  shores  of  the  lake  where  they  lived. 
He  called  to  the  waters  to  disappear.  Four  times  he 
called  out.  At  once  the  waters  vanished.  There  lay 
the  Ana  maqkiu.  They  lay  on  the  mud  in  the  bottom 
of  the  lake.  They  looked  like  fishes.  The  chief  lay 
near  the  shore.  He  was  very  large. 

Manabush  said  to  Great  Fish,  "  I  shall  destroy  you 
because  you  will  not  allow  my  people  to  come  near  the 
shore."  So  he  went  towards  Great  Fish.  But  the 
smaller  manidoes  caused  the  waters  to  return.  Thus 
they  all  escaped. 

1  The  Ojibwas  have  a  similar  myth. 

69 


MYTHS  AND  LEGENDS  OF 

Then  Manabush  went  into  the  woods.  He  made  a 
canoe  of  birch  bark.  He  wanted  to  destroy  Great  Fish 
in  the  water.  As  he  left  the  shore  in  his  canoe,  he 
began  to  sing,  "  Great  Fish,  come  and  swallow  me." 
Only  the  young  fish  came  near.  Manabush  said  scorn 
fully,  "  I  do  not  wish  you.  I  want  your  chief  to  come 
and  swallow  me."  Great  Fish  was  much  annoyed.  He 
darted  forward  and  swallowed  Manabush  and  his 
canoe. 

Thus  Manabush  found  himself  in  the  Great  Fish. 
He  looked  about  him.  Many  of  his  people  were  there. 
Bear  and  Deer,  Porcupine  and  Raven,  Buffalo,  Pine- 
tree  Squirrel,  and  many  others. 

Manabush  said  to  Buffalo,  "  My  uncle,  how  did  you 
get  here?  I  never  saw  you  near  the  water,  but  always 
on  the  prairie." 

Buffalo  said,  "  I  came  near  the  lake  to  get  some  fresh 
green  grass.  Great  Fish  caught  me."  And  thus  said 
all  the  animals.  They  said,  "  We  came  near  the  lake 
and  Great  Fish  swallowed  us." 

Then  Manabush  said,  "  We  will  now  have  to  go  to 
the  shore  of  Nokomis,  my  grandmother.  You  will  all 
have  to  help  me."  At  once  they  all  began  to  dance 
around  inside  of  Great  Fish.  Therefore  he  began  to 
swim  quickly  towards  shore.  Manabush  began  to  cut 
a  hole  over  his  head,  so  they  could  get  out  when  Great 

70 


THE  MISSISSIPPI  VALLEY 

Fish  reached  the  shore  of  Nokomis,  the  Earth.  They 
sang  a  magic  song.  They  sang,  "  I  see  the  sky.  I  see 
the  sky."  Pine  Squirrel  had  a  curious  voice.  He 
hopped  around  singing,  "  Sek-sek-sek-sekf  "  This  was 
very  amusing  to  the  other  people. 

Great  Fish  thought,  "  I  ought  not  to  have  swallowed 
that  man.  I  must  swim  to  the  shore  where  Nokomis 
lives."  So  he  swam  quickly  until  he  reached  the  beach. 
Then  Manabush  cut  a  larger  hole.  Thus  they  all 
climbed  out  of  Great  Fish.  The  birds  helped  Mana 
bush.  They  stood  on  the  sides  of  Great  Fish  and 
picked  the  flesh  from  his  bones.1 


1And  again  the  sturgeon,  Nahma, 
Heard  the  shout  of  Hiawatha, 
Heard  his  challenge  of  defiance, 
The  unnecessary  tumult, 
Ringing  far  across  the  water. 

In  his  wrath  he  darted  upward, 
Flashing  leaped  into  the  sunshine, 
Opened  his  great  jaws  and  swallowed 
Both  canoe  and  Hiawatha. 

—  Hiawatha 


MYTHS  AND  LEGENDS  OF 


THE  DEPARTURE  OF  MANABUSH 

M  en  o  mini 

NOW  Manabush  was  going  away.    He  went  to 
Mackinac.    When  he  reached  there,  he  made 
a  high,  narrow  rock,  and  this  he  leaned  against 
the  cliff.    This  rock  is  as  high  as  an  arrow  can  be  shot 
from  a  bow.    At  this  place  he  was  seen  by  his  people 
for  the  last  time.    Before  he  went,  he  talked  with  them. 
Manabush  said,  "  I  am  going  away  now.     I  have 
been  badly  treated  by  other  people  who  live  in  the 
land  about  you.    I  shall  go  across  a  great  water  towards 
the  rising  sun,  where  there  is  a  land  of  rocks.    There 
I  shall  set  up  my  wigwam.    When  you  hold  a  mita- 
wiko-nik  and  are  all  together,  you  shall  think  of  me. 
When  you  speak  my  name,  I  shall  hear  you.    What 
ever  you  ask,  that  I  will  do." 

Then  Manabush  spoke  no  more  to  his  people.    He 
entered  the  canoe.    Then  he  went  slowly  over  the  great 

72 


THE  MISSISSIPPI  VALLEY 

water,  to  the  land  of  rocks.     He  vanished  from  his 
people  as  he  went  towards  the  rising  sun.1 


1  The  Ojibwas  say  he  went  toward  the  setting  sun. 

Thus  departed   Hiawatha, 
Hiawatha  the  Beloved, 
In  the  glory  of  the  sunset, 
In  the  purple  mists  of  evening, 
To  the  regions  of  the  home-wind, 
Of  the  Northwest  wind,  Keewaydin     .     .    . 

—  Hiawatha 

73 


MYTHS  AND  LEGENDS  OF 


THE  RETURN  OF  MANABUSH 

M  en  o  mini 

THE  uncles  of  Manabush,  the  people,  used  to 
visit  a  rock  near  Mackinac  where  the  old  men 
said  Manabush  was  living.    They  built  a  long 
lodge  there.    They  sang  in  their  mita-wiko-nik  there. 
Manabush  heard  them.    Sometimes  he  came  to  them. 
He  appeared  as  a  little  white  rabbit,  trembling,  with 
pink  ears,  just  as  he  had  first  appeared  to  Nokomis, 
his  grandmother. 


74 


THE  MISSISSIPPI  VALLEY 


THE  REQUEST  FOR  IMMORTALITY 

Menomini 

ONE  day  long  after  Manabush  had  gone  away 
from  his  people,  an  Indian  dreamed  that  he 
spoke  to  him.  At  daylight,  he  sought  seven 
friends,  chief  men  of  the  Mita-wit.  They  held  a 
council  together,  and  then  rose  and  went  in  search  of 
Manabush. 

The  Dreamer  blackened  his  face. 

On  the  shore  of  the  Great  Waters,  they  entered 
canoes,  and  paddled  toward  a  rocky  place  in  the  Land 
of  the  Rising  Sun.  Very  long  they  paddled  over  the 
water,  until  they  reached  the  land  where  dwelt 
Manabush. 

Soon  they  reached  his  wigwam.  Manabush  bade 
them  enter.  The  door  of  the  wigwam  lifted  and  fell 
again  as  each  one  entered.  When  all  were  seated, 
Manabush  said: 

"  My  friends,  why  is  it  you  have  come  so  long  a 
journey  to  see  me?  What  is  it  you  wish?  " 

All  but  one  answered,  at  once :  "  Manabush,  we 

75 


MYTHS  AND  LEGENDS  OF 

wish  some  hunting  medicine;  thus  we  may  supply  our 
people  with  much  food." 

"You  shall  have  it,"  said  Manabush.  Then  he 
turned  to  the  silent  one.  He  asked,  "  What  do  you 
wish?" 

The  Indian  replied,  "  I  wish  no  hunting  medicine. 
I  wish  to  live  forever." 

Manabush  rose  and  went  towards  the  Indian.  He 
took  him  by  the  shoulders  and  carried  him  to  his 
sleeping  place.  He  set  him  down,  and  said : 

"  You  shall  be  a  stone.  Thus  you  shall  be  ever 
lasting." 

Immediately  the  other  Indians  arose  and  went  down 
to  the  shore.  In  their  canoes  they  returned  to  their 
own  land.  It  is  from  these  seven  who  returned  that 
we  know  of  the  abode  of  Manabush. 


THE  MISSISSIPPI  VALLEY 


PEBOAN  AND  SEEGWAN 

Ojlbwa 

ENG  ago  an  old  man  sat  alone  in  his  lodge  beside 
a  frozen  stream.  The  fire  was  dying  out,  and 
it  was  near  the  end  of  winter.  Outside  the 
lodge,  the  cold  wind  swept  before  it  the  drifting  snow. 
So  the  old  man  sat  alone,  day  after  day,  until  at  last  a 
young  warrior  entered  his  lodge.  He  was  fresh  and 
joyous  and  youthful. 

The  old  man  welcomed  him.  He  drew  out  his  long 
pipe  and  filled  it  with  tobacco.  He  lighted  it  from  the 
dying  embers  of  the  fire.  Then  they  smoked  together. 

The  old  man  said,  "  I  blow  my  breath  and  the 
streams  stand  still.  The  water  becomes  stiff  and  hard 
like  the  stones." 

"  I  breathe,"  said  the  warrior,  "  and  flowers  spring 
up  over  the  plain." 

"  I  shake  my  locks,"  said  the  old  man,  "  and  snow 
covers  the  land.  Leaves  fall  from  the  trees.  The  birds 
fly  away.  The  animals  hide.  The  earth  becomes  hard." 

"  I  shake  my  locks,"  said  the  young  man,  "  and  the 

77 


MYTHS  AND  LEGENDS  OF 

warm  rain  falls.  Plants  blossom;  the  birds  return;  the 
streams  flow." 

Then  the  sun  came  up  over  the  edge  of  the  Earth- 
plain,  and  began  to  climb  the  trail  through  the  Sky- 
land.  The  old  man  slept.  Behold !  The  frozen  stream 
near  by  began  to  flow.  The  fire  in  the  lodge  died  out. 
Robins  sat  upon  the  lodge  poles  and  sang. 

Then  the  warrior  looked  upon  the  sleeping  old  man. 
Behold !  It  was  Peboan,  the  Winter-maker.1 


1  In  his  lodge  beside  a  river, 
Close  beside  a  frozen  river, 
Sat  an  old  man,  sad  and  lonely, 
White  his  hair  was  as  a  snow-drift; 
Dull  and  low  his  fire  was  burning, 
And  the  old  man  shook  and  trembled, 

Hearing  nothing  but  the  tempest 

As  it  roared  along  the  forest, 

Seeing  nothing  but  the  snow-storm, 

As  it  whirled  and  hissed  and  drifted. 

All  the  coals  were  white  with  ashes 

And  the  fire  was  slowly  dying, 

As  a  young  man,  v/alking  lightly, 

At  the  open  doorway  entered. 

Red  with  blood  of  youth  his  cheeks  were, 

Soft  his  eyes,  as  stars  in  Spring-time. 

—  Hiawatha 

78 


THE  MISSISSIPPI  VALLEY 


THE  GRAVE  FIRES 

Ojlbwa 

A  SMALL  war  party  of  Ojibwas  fought,   long 
ago,  with  enemies  on  an  open  plain.    Then  their 
chief  was  shot  by  an  arrow  in  his  breast  as  he 
rode  after  the  retreating  enemy.     When  his  warriors 
found  their  chief  dead,  they  placed  him,  sitting,  with 
his  back  against  a  tree.    They  left  him  there  with  his 
bow  and  arrows. 

But  the  chief  was  not  dead.  He  saw  the  warriors 
leave  him  and  he  ran  after  them  as  they  rode  the  home 
ward  trail.  He  followed  closely  in  their  trail.  He 
slept  in  their  camp,  yet  they  did  not  see  him. 

When  the  war  party  reached  their  own  village,  they 
sang  the  song  of  victory,  yet  they  sent  up  the  death  wail 
for  those  who  were  killed.  The  women  and  children 
came  out.  The  chief  heard  his  warriors  tell  of  his 
death.  He  said,  "  No,  I  am  not  dead,"  but  they  did 
not  hear  him. 

Then  the  chief  went  to  his  own  wigwam.  His  wife 
was  weeping,  and  wailing  for  his  death.  "  I  am  here," 
he  said,  but  she  did  not  hear  him.  "  I  am  hungry," 

79 


MYTHS  AND  LEGENDS  OF 

he  said.    She  made  no  answer.    Only  she  raised  again 
the  death  wail. 

Then  the  chief  thought.  Perhaps  only  his  spirit  had 
returned.  Perhaps  his  body  was  yet  on  the  field  of 
battle.  So  he  followed  the  trail  back  to  the  battle  field. 
It  was  a  four  days'  journey.  For  three  days  he  saw 
no  one  as  he  journeyed.  The  fourth  day,  on  the  edge 
of  the  plain,  he  saw  a  fire  in  his  trail.  He  walked  to 
one  side  and  the  other;  the  fire  moved  also  and  always 
burned  before  him.  Then  he  turned  in  another  direc 
tion.  The  fire  was  again  in  his  trail.  Then  he  sprang 
suddenly,  and  jumped  through  the  flame. 

At  once  he  awoke.  He  was  sitting  on  the  ground, 
with  his  back  against  a  tree.  Over  his  head  in  the 
branches  sat  a  large  war  eagle.  Now  Eagle  was  his 
guardian,  because  he  had  come  to  him  in  his  fasting 
vision  in  his  youth. 

Then  the  wounded  chief  arose.  He  followed  the 
trail  of  the  war  party  to  his  village.  Four  days  he 
followed  the  homeward  trail.  He  came  to  a  stream 
which  flowed  between  him  and  his  wigwam,  therefore 
he  gave  the  whoop  which  means  the  return  of  an 
absent  friend.  Then  the  Indians  began  to  think.  They 
said,  "  No  one  is  absent.  Perhaps  it  is  an  enemy."  So 
they  sent  over  a  canoe  with  armed  men.  Thus  the 
chief  landed  among  his  own  people. 

80 


THE  MISSISSIPPI  VALLEY 

Then  the  chief  gave  them  instructions.  He  said  it 
was  pleasing  to  a  spirit  to  have  a  fire  burning  at  the 
grave  for  four  days  after  the  body  was  buried.  This 
was  because  it  is  four  days'  journey  on  the  death  trail 
to  the  Ghost-land;  so  the  spirit  needed  a  fire  at  his 
camping  place  every  evening. 

Also  he  said  the  spirit  needed  his  bow  and  arrow, 
his  best  robes,  in  his  journey.  Therefore  the  Ojibwas 
burn  a  fire  four  nights  at  a  new  grave,  that  the  spirit 
may  be  happy  in  following  the  Trail  of  the  Dead  to 
the  Spirit-land.1 


1  Thus  they  buried  Minnehaha. 
And  at  night  a  fire  was  lighted, 
On  her  grave  four  times  was  kindled, 
For  her  soul  upon  its  journey 
To  the  Islands  of  the  Blessed. 
From  his  doorway  Hiawatha 
Saw  it  burning  in  the  forest, 
Lighting  up  the  gloomy  hemlocks; 
From  his  sleepless  bed  uprising, 
From  the  bed  of  Minnehaha, 
Stood  and  watched  it  at  the  doorway, 
That  it  might  not  be  extinguished, 
Might  not  leave  her  in  the  darkness. 

—  Hiawatha 

81 


MYTHS  AND  LEGENDS  OF 


THE  DEATH  TRAIL 

C  ho  daw 

ATER  a  man  dies,  he  must  travel  far  on  the  death 
trail.  It  journeys  to  the  Darkening-land,  where 
Sun  slips  over  the  edge  of  the  Earth-plain.  Then 
the  spirit  comes  to  a  deep,  rapid  stream.  There  are 
steep  and  rugged  hills  on  each  side,  so  that  one  may  not 
follow  a  land  trail.  The  Trail  of  the  Dead  leads  over 
the  stream,  and  the  only  bridge  is  a  pine  log.  It  is  a 
very  slippery  log,  and  even  the  bark  has  been  peeled 
off.  Also  on  the  other  side  of  the  bridge  are  six  per 
sons.  They  have  rocks  in  their  hands,  and  throw  them 
at  spirits  when  they  are  just  at  the  middle  of  the  log. 

Now  when  an  evil  spirit  sees  the  stones  coming,  he 
tries  to  dodge  them.  Therefore  he  slips  off  the  log. 
He  falls  far  into  the  water  below,  where  are  evil  things. 
The  water  carries  him  around  and  around,  as  in  a 
whirlpool,  and  then  brings  him  back  again  among  the 
evil  things.  Sometimes  evil  spirit  climbs  up  on  the 
rocks  and  looks  over  into  the  country  of  the  good 
spirits.  But  he  cannot  go  there. 

Now  the  good  spirit  walks  over  safely.  He  does  not 

82 


THE  MISSISSIPPI  VALLEY 

mind  the  stones  and  does  not  dodge  them.  He  crosses 
the  stream  and  goes  to  a  good  hunting  land.  It  is  more 
beautiful  there  than  on  the  Earth-plain.  There  are  no 
storms.  The  sky  is  always  blue,  and  the  grass  is  green, 
and  there  are  many  buffaloes.  Therefore  there  is 
always  feasting  and  dancing. 


MYTHS  AND  LEGENDS  OF 


THE  DUCK  AND  THE  NORTH  WEST 
WIND 

Ojibwa 

ONCE  Shingebiss,  the  duck,  lived  all  alone  in 
his  wigwam  on  the  shore  of  a  lake.     It  was 
winter  and  very  cold.    Ice  had  frozen  over  the 
top  of  the  water.    Shingebiss  had  but  four  logs  of  wood 
in  his  wigwam,  but  each  log  would  burn  one  month 
and  there  were  but  four  winter  months.1 

Shingebiss  had  no  fear  of  the  cold.     He  would  go 

1  And  at  night  Kabibonokka 
To  the  lodge  came,  wild  and  wailing, 
Heaped  the  snow  in  drifts  about  it, 
Shouted  down  into  the  smoke-flue, 
Shook  the  lodge  poles  in  his  fury, 
Flapped  the  curtain  of  the  doorway, 
Shingebis,  the  diver,  feared  not, 
Shingebis,  the  diver,  cared  not  ; 
Four  great  logs  had  he  for  firewood, 
One  for  each  moon  of  the  winter, 
And  for  food  the  fishes  served  him, 
By  his  blazing  fire  he  sat  there, 
Warm  and  merry,  eating,  laughing, 
Singing,  "  O  Kabibonokka, 
You  are  but  my  fellow  mortal!" 

—  Hiawatha 


I 
i  I  vv 


A- 1 


From  Report  of  the  Bureau  of  American  Ethnology. 

PICTURE  WRITING.    AN  OJIBWA  MEDA  SONG. 


THE  MISSISSIPPI  VALLEY 

out  on  the  coldest  day.  He  would  seek  for  places 
where  rushes  and  flags  grew  through  the  ice.  He 
pulled  them  up  and  dived  through  the  broken  ice  for 
fish.  Thus  he  had  plenty  of  food.  Thus  he  went  to  his 
wigwam  dragging  long  strings  of  fish  behind  him  on 
the  ice. 

North  West  noticed  this.  He  said,  "  Shingebiss  is 
a  strange  man.  I  will  see  if  I  cannot  get  the  better 
of  him." 

North  West  shook  his  rattle  and  the  wind  blew 
colder.  Snow  drifted  high.  But  Shingebiss  did  not 
let  his  fire  go  out.  In  the  worst  storms  he  continued 
going  out,  seeking  for  the  weak  places  in  the  ice  where 
the  roots  grew. 

North  West  noticed  this.  He  said,  "  Shingebiss  is 
a  strange  man.  I  shall  go  and  visit  him." 

That  night  North  West  went  to  the  door  of  the 
wigwam.  Shingebiss  had  cooked  his  fish  and  eaten  it. 
He  was  lying  on  his  side  before  the  fire,  singing  songs. 

He  sang, 

Ka  neej       Ka  neej 

Be  in       Be  in 

Bon  in    Bon  in 

Oc  ee       Oc  ee 

Ca  We-ya       Ca  We-ya. 

This  meant,  "  Spirit  of  North  West,  you  are  but  my 
fellow  man." 

85 


MYTHS  AND  LEGENDS  OF 

Now  he  sang  this  because  he  knew  North  West  was 
standing  at  the  door  of  his  wigwam.  He  could  feel  his 
cold  breath.  He  kept  right  on  singing  his  songs. 

North  West  said,  "  Shingebiss  is  a  strange  man.  I 
shall  go  inside." 

Therefore  North  West  entered  the  wigwam  and  sat 
down  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  lodge.  Shingebiss 
lay  before  the  fire  and  sang: 

"  Spirit  of  North  West,  you  are  but  my  fellow  man." 

Then  he  got  up  and  poked  the  fire.  The  wigwam 
became  very  warm.  At  last  North  West  said,  "  I  can 
not  stand  this.  I  must  go  out.  Shingebiss  is  a  very 
strange  man."  So  he  went  out. 

Then  North  West  shook  his  rattles  until  the  great 
storms  came.  Thus  there  was  much  ice  and  snow  and 
wind.  All  the  flag  roots  were  frozen  in  hard  ice.  Still 
Shingebiss  went  fishing.  He  bit  off  the  frozen  flags 
and  rushes,  and  broke  the  hard  ice  around  their  roots. 
He  dived  for  fish  and  went  home  dragging  strings  of 
fish  behind  him  on  the  ice. 

North  West  noticed  this.  He  said,  "  Shingebiss 
must  have  very  strong  medicine.  Some  manito  is 
helping  him.  I  cannot  conquer  him.  Shingebiss  is  a 
very  strange  man." 

So  he  let  him  alone. 


86 


THE  MISSISSIPPI  VALLEY 


HOW  THE  HUNTER  DESTROYED  SNOW 

M  en  o  mini 

ONCE  a  hunter  with  his  wife  and  two  children 
lived  in  a  tepee.    Each  day  the  hunter  went  out 
for  game.     He  was   a  good  hunter  and  he 
brought  back  much  game. 

But  one  day,  after  autumn  had  gone  and  winter  had 
come,  the  hunter  met  Kon,  Snow,  who  froze  his  feet 
badly.  Then  the  hunter  made  a  large  wooden  bowl 
and  filled  it  with  Kon.  He  buried  it  in  a  deep  hole 
where  the  midday  sun  could  shine  down  upon  it,  and 
where  Snow  could  not  run  away.  Then  he  covered 
the  hole  with  sticks  and  leaves  so  that  Snow  would  be 
a  prisoner  until  summer. 

Now  when  midsummer  came,  and  everything  was 
warm,  the  hunter  came  back  to  this  hole  and  pulled 
away  the  sticks  and  leaves.  He  let  the  midday  sun 
shine  down  upon  Kon  so  that  he  melted.  Thus  the 
hunter  punished  Kon. 

But  when  autumn  came  again,  one  day  the  hunter 
heard  someone  say  to  him,  when  he  was  in  the  forest: 

87 


MYTHS  AND  LEGENDS  OF 

"  You  punished  me  last  summer,  but  when  winter 
comes  I  will  show  you  how  strong  I  am." 

The  hunter  knew  it  was  Ron's  voice.  He  at  once 
built  another  tepee,  near  the  one  in  which  he  lived, 
and  filled  it  full  of  firewood. 

At  last  winter  came  again.  When  the  hunter  was  in 
the  forest  one  day,  he  heard  Kon  say:  "Now  I  am 
coming  to  visit  you,  as  I  said  I  should.  In  four  days 
I  shall  be  at  your  tepee." 

When  the  hunter  returned  home,  he  made  ready 
more  firewood;  he  built  a  fire  at  the  two  sides  of  the 
tepee.  After  four  days,  everything  became  frozen.  It 
was  very  cold.  The  hunter  kept  up  the  fires  in  the 
tepee.  He  took  out  all  the  extra  fur  robes  to  cover 
his  wife  and  children.  The  cold  became  more  severe. 
It  was  hard  not  to  freeze. 

On  the  fifth  day,  towards  night,  the  hunter  looked 
out  from  his  tepee  upon  a  frozen  world.  Then  he  saw 
a  stranger  coming.  He  looked  like  any  other  stranger, 
except  that  he  had  a  very  large  head  and  an  immense 
beard.  When  he  came  to  the  tepee,  the  hunter  asked 
him  in.  He  at  once  came  in,  but  he  would  not  go  near 
either  of  the  fires.  This  puzzled  the  hunter,  and  he 
began  to  watch  the  stranger. 

It  became  colder  and  colder  after  the  stranger  had 
come  into  the  tepee.  The  hunter  added  more  wood  to 

88 


THE  MISSISSIPPI  VALLEY 

each  of  the  fires  until  they  roared.  The  stranger 
seemed  too  warm.  The  hunter  added  more  wood,  and 
the  stranger  became  warmer  and  warmer.  Then  the 
hunter  saw  that  as  he  became  warm,  he  seemed  to 
shrink.  At  last  his  head  and  body  were  quite  small. 
Then  the  hunter  knew  who  the  stranger  guest  was.  It 
was  Kon,  the  Cold.  So  he  kept  up  his  fires  until  Kon 
melted  altogether  away. 


MYTHS  AND  LEGENDS  OF 


THE  PIPE  OF  PEACE 

Ojibwa 

IN  THE  olden  days,  so  they  say,  the  Indians  fought 
much.    Always  they  followed  the  war  trail.    Then 
Gitche    Manito,    the    Good    Mystery,    thought, 
"  This  is  not  well.     My  children  should  not  always 
follow  the  war  trail."     Therefore  he  called  a  great 
council.    He  called  all  the  tribes  together.    Now  this 
was  on  the  upper  Mississippi. 

Gitche  Manito  stood  on  a  great  wall  of  red  rock.  On 
the  green  plain  below  him  were  the  wigwams  of  his 
children.  All  the  tribes  were  there. 

Gitche  Manito  broke  off  a  piece  of  the  red  rock.  He 
made  a  pipe  out  of  it.  He  made  a  pipe  by  turning  it  in 
his  hands.  Then  he  smoked  the  pipe,  and  the  smoke 
made  a  great  cloud  in  the  sky. 

He  spoke  in  a  loud  voice.  He  said,  "  See,  my  people, 
this  stone  is  red.  It  is  red  because  it  is  the  flesh  of  all 
tribes.  Therefore  can  it  be  used  only  for  a  pipe  of 
peace  when  you  cease  to  follow  the  war  trail.  There 
fore  it  is  the  Place  of  Peace.  To  all  the  tribes  it 
belongs." 

90 


THE  MISSISSIPPI  VALLEY 

Then  the  cloud  grew  larger  and  Gitche  Manito 
vanished  in  it. 

Now  therefore,  because  of  the  command  of  Gitche 
Manito,  the  Indians  smoke  the  pipe  of  peace  when  they 
cease  to  follow  the  war  trail.  And  because  it  is  the 
Place  of  Peace,  the  tomahawk  and  the  scalping  knife 
are  never  lifted  there.1 


1  On  the  Mountains  of  the  Prairie, 
On  the  great  Red  Pipe-stone  Quarry, 
Gitche  Manito,  the  mighty, 
He  the  Master  of  Life  descending, 
On  the  red  crags  of  the  quarry, 
Stood  erect  and  called  the  nations, 
Called  the  tribes  of  men  together. 

"  I  am  weary  of  your  quarrels, 
Weary  of  your  wars  and  bloodshed, 
Weary  of  your  prayers  for  vengeance, 
Of  your  wranglings  and  dissensions; 

Break  the  red  stone  from  this  quarry, 
Mould  and  make  it  into  Peace-pipes, 
Take  the  reeds  that  grow  beside  you, 
Deck  them  with  your  brightest  feathers, 
Smoke  the  calumet  together." 

—  Hiawatha 

91 


MYTHS  AND  LEGENDS  OF 


THE  THUNDER'S  NEST 

Ojibwa 

HUNDER  had  a  Nest  where  a  very  small  bird 
sits  upon  her  eggs  during  fair  weather.  When 

an  egg  hatches,  the  skies  are  rent  with  bolts 
of  thunder. 


T 


THE  MISSISSIPPI  VALLEY 


THE  PIPESTONE 

Sioux 

BEFORE  there  were  any  people  on  the  earth, 
Gitche  Manito  hunted  the  buffalo.     He  killed 
them  and  cooked  them  before  his  camp  fire  on 
the  Red  Rocks,  on  the  top  of  the  Coteau  des  Prairies, 
the  Mountain  of  the  Prairies.     So  the  blood  of  the 
buffaloes  ran  over  the  rocks  and  made  them  red. 

Gitche  Manito  was  then  a  very  large  bird.  We  can 
still  see  his  tracks  in  the  red  stone.  Now  it  happened 
a  large  snake  crawled  out  of  its  hole  to  eat  the  eggs  of 
the  Bird.  Then  at  once  the  egg  hatched  out  in  a  clap 
of  thunder. 

Gitche  Manito  took  a  piece  of  stone  to  throw  at  the 
snake.  He  shaped  it  in  his  hands  like  to  a  man. 

Now  this  man's  feet  stood  fast  in  the  ground  where 
he  was.  Thus  he  stayed  for  many  ages;  therefore  he 
grew  very  old.  He  was  older  than  a  hundred  men  at 
the  present  time.  At  last  another  tree  grew  beside  him. 
It  grew  a  long  while,  until  a  snake  bit  off  the  roots. 
Then  the  two  people  left  the  pipestone  quarry.  They 
wandered  away.  They  were  the  grandfathers  of  all 
the  tribes. 

93 


MYTHS  AND  LEGENDS  OF 


THE  PIPESTONE 

Knisteneaux 

A  GREAT  flood  came.    Then  the  tribes  met  on 
the  Coteau  des  Prairies,  on  the  Mountain  of  the 
Prairies,  to  get  out  of  the  way  of  the  waters. 
Then  the  waters   rose  higher;   thus  the  tribes  were 
drowned.      Gitche    Manito    made    them    into    stone. 
Therefore  the  stone  is  red. 

Now  when  the  waters  were  -rising,  a  young  woman 
caught  the  foot  of  a  large  bird  flying  near.  It  was 
War-eagle.  He  carried  her  to  the  top  of  a  large  moun 
tain.  Thus  she  was  saved.  Then  she  married  War- 
eagle. 

Now  all  the  tribes  were  drowned.  Therefore  the 
children  of  War-eagle  and  the  Indian  woman  were 
the  ancestors  of  all  the  Indians. 


94 


THE  MISSISSIPPI  VALLEY 


PAU-PUK-KEE-WIS 

Ojlbwa 

A  MAN   found   himself   standing   alone   on   the 
prairie.     He  was  very  large  and  strong.     He 
thought  to  himself,  "  How  did  I  come  here? 
Am  I  all  alone  on  the  earth?    I  must  travel  until  I  find 
the  abode  of  men." 

So  he  started  out.  After  a  long  time  he  came  to  a 
wood.  There  were  decayed  stumps  there,  very  old,  as 
if  cut  in  the  olden  times.  Again  he  journeyed  a  long 
time.  He  came  to  a  wood  in  which  there  were  more 
stumps,  newly  cut.  Then  he  came  to  the  fresh  trail  of 
people.  He  saw  wood  just  cut,  lying  in  heaps.  At 
sunset  he  came  out  of  the  forest.  He  saw  a  village  of 
many  lodges  standing  on  rising  ground. 

He  said,  "  I  will  go  there  on  the  run."  He  ran. 
When  he  came  to  the  first  lodge,  he  sprang  over  it. 
Those  within  saw  something  pass  over  the  smoke  hole. 
They  heard  a  thump  on  the  ground. 

They  said,  "  What  is  that?  "  They  ran  out.  They 
invited  him  to  enter.  Many  warriors  were  in  the 
wigwam,  and  an  old  chief. 

The  chief  said,  "  Where  are  you  going?  What  is 
your  name?  " 

95 


MYTHS  AND  LEGENDS  OF 

He  said,  "  I  am  in  search  of  adventures.  I  am  Pau- 
puk-kee-wis."  Then  they  laughed. 

After  a  short  time  he  went  on.  A  young  man  went 
with  him  as  his  mesh-in-au-wa,  as  his  pipe  bearer. 

As  they  journeyed,  Pau-puk-kee-wis  did  strange 
things.  He  leaped  over  trees.  He  whirled  on  one  foot 
until  dust  clouds  were  flying. 

One  day  a  large  village  of  wigwams  came  in  their 
trail.  They  went  to  it.  The  chief  told  them  of  evil 
manitoes  who  had  killed  all  the  people  going  to  that 
village.  War  parties  had  been  sent  against  them.  The 
warriors  were  all  killed. 

Pau-puk-kee-wis  said,  "  I  will  go  and  visit  them." 

The  chief  said,  "  Oh,  no.  They  are  evil.  They  will 
kill  you." 

Pau-puk-kee-wis  said,  "  I  will  go  and  visit  them." 

Then  the  chief  said,  "  I  will  send  twenty  warriors 
with  you." 

So  Pau-puk-kee-wis,  with  his  pipe  bearer  and 
twenty  warriors,  started  off  at  once.  They  came  near 
that  lodge.  Pau-puk-kee-wis  said,  "  Hide  here.  Thus 
you  will  be  safe.  You  will  see  what  I  do."  He  went 
to  that  lodge.  He  entered. 

The  manitoes  were  very  ugly.  They  were  evil 
looking.  There  were  a  father  and  four  sons.  They 
offered  him  food.  He  refused  it. 

96 


THE  MISSISSIPPI  VALLEY 

The  old  manito  said,  "  What  have  you  come  for?  " 

"  Nothing,"  said  Pau-puk-kee-wis. 

"  Do  you  want  to  wrestle?  "  asked  the  manito. 

"  Yes,"  said  Pau-puk-kee-wis. 

At  once  the  eldest  brother  rose  and  they  began  to 
wrestle.  These  manitoes  were  very  evil.  They  wished 
to  kill  Pau-puk-kee-wis  in  order  to  eat  him.  But  that 
man  was  very  strong.  He  tripped  the  manito.  Then 
he  threw  him  down.  His  head  struck  on  a  stone. 

The  next  brother  wrestled  with  Pau-puk-kee-wis. 
He  fell.  Then  the  other  two  wrestled.  All  four  fell 
on  the  ground.  The  old  manito  began  to  run.  Pau- 
puk-kee-wis  pursued  him.  He  pursued  him  in  a  very 
queer  way,  just  for  fun.  Sometimes  he  leaped  over 
him  and  ran  ahead.  Sometimes  he  pushed  him  ahead 
from  behind. 

All  the  twenty  warriors  cried,  "  Ha!  ha!  ha!  Ha! 
ha!  ha!  Pau-puk-kee-wis  is  driving  him." 

At  last  Pau-puk-kee-wis  killed  him.  Thus  all  the 
evil  manitoes  were  dead. 

Then  they  looked  on  the  bones  of  the  warriors  and 
people  who  had  been  killed  by  those  evil  ones.  Then 
Pau-puk-kee-wis  took  three  arrows.  He  performed  a 
ceremony  to  Gitche  Manito.  He  shot  one  arrow.  He 
cried,  "  You  who  are  lying  down,  rise  up  or  you  will 
be  hit."  At  once  the  bones  all  moved  to  one  place. 

97 


MYTHS  AND  LEGENDS  OF 

He  shot  a  second  arrow.  He  cried,  "  You  who  are 
lying  down,  rise  up,  or  you  will  be  hit."  The  proper 
bones  moved  together,  toward  each  other. 

He  shot  a  third  arrow.  He  cried,  "  You  who  are 
lying  down,  rise  up,  or  you  will  be  hit."  The  people 
became  alive  again.  Then  Pau-puk-kee-wis  led  them 
back  to  the  village  of  the  friendly  chief. 

This  one  then  came  to  him  with  his  council.  He 
said,  "  You  should  rule  my  people.  You  only  are  able 
to  defend  them." 

Pau-puk-kee-wis  said,  "  I  am  going  on  a  journey. 
Let  my  pipe  bearer  be  chief."  So  he  was. 

Pau-puk-kee-wis  began  his  journey.  "  Ho!  ho!  ho! " 
cried  all  the  people.  "  Come  back  again.  Ho!  ho!  ho!" 

He  journeyed  on.  He  came  to  a  lake  made  by 
beavers.1  He  stood  on  the  beaver  dam  and  watched. 
He  saw  the  head  of  a  beaver  peering  out. 

1  With  a  smile  he  spake  in  this  wise: 
"  O,  my  friend,  Ahmeek,  the  beaver, 

Cool  and  pleasant  is  the  water; 

Let  me  dive  into  the  water, 

Let  me  rest  there  in  your  lodges; 

Change  me,  too,  into  a  beaver!" 
Cautiously  replied  the  beaver, 

With  reserve  he  thus  made  answer, 
"  Let  me  first  consult  the  others, 

Let  me  ask  the  other  beavers." 

—  Hiawatha 


THE  MISSISSIPPI  VALLEY 

"  Make  me  a  beaver  like  yourself,"  said  Pau-puk- 
kee-wis.  He  wanted  to  see  how  beavers  lived. 

"  I  will  go  and  ask  what  the  others  have  to  say," 
said  Beaver. 

Soon  all  the  beavers  looked  out  to  see  if  he  were 
armed.  He  had  left  his  bow  and  arrow  in  a  hollow 
tree. 

"  Make  me  a  beaver,"  said  Pau-puk-kee-wis.  "  I 
wish  to  live  among  you." 

"  Yes,"  said  Beaver  chief.  "  Lie  down."  He  lay 
down.  He  found  himself  a  beaver. 

"  You  must  make  me  large,"  he  said. 

"  Yes,"  said  Beaver  chief.  "  When  we  get  into  the 
lodge,  you  shall  be  made  very  large." 

So  they  all  dived  down  into  the  water  again.  They 
passed  heaps  of  tree  limbs  and  logs  lying  on  the  bottom 
of  the  river. 

"What  are  these  for?"  asked  Pau-puk-kee-wis. 

"  For  our  winter  food,"  said  Beaver  chief. 

Now  when  they  got  into  the  lodge,  they  made  Pau- 
puk-kee-wis  very  large.  They  made  him  ten  times 
larger  than  themselves. 

Soon  a  beaver  came  running  in.  He  cried,  "  The 
Indians  are  hunting  us."  At  once  all  the  beavers  ran 
out  of  the  lodge  door  on  the  bottom  of  the  river.  Pau- 
puk-kee-wis  was  too  large.  He  could  not  get  out.  The 

99 


MYTHS  AND  LEGENDS  OF 

Indians  broke  down  the  dam.  They  lowered  the  water. 
They  broke  in  the  lodge.  They  saw  that  one. 

"  Ty-au!  Ty-au!  "  cried  the  Indians.  "  Me-sham- 
mek,  the  chief  of  the  beavers,  is  here." 

So  they  killed  him.  Yet  Pau-puk-kee-wis  kept 
thinking.  They  placed  his  great  body  on  a  pole. 
Seven  or  eight  Indians  carried  it.  They  went  back  to 
their  lodges.  They  sent  out  invitations  for  a  great 
feast.  Then  the  women  came  out  to  skin  him  on  the 
snow.  When  his  flesh  became  cold,  the  Jee-bl  of  Pau- 
puk-kee-wis  went  away.  His  spirit  went  away. 

So  Pau-puk-kee-wis  found  himself  standing  alone 
on  a  prairie.  Soon  there  came  near  by  a  herd  of  elk. 
He  thought,  "  They  are  very  happy.  I  will  be  an  elk." 
He  went  near  them,  and  said,  "  Make  me  an  elk.  I 
wish  to  live  among  you." 

They  said,  "  Yes.  Get  down  on  your  hands  and 
knees." 

Soon  he  found  himself  an  elk. 

"  I  want  big  horns  and  big  feet,"  said  Pau-puk-kee- 
wis.  "  I  want  to  be  very  large." 

"  Yes,  yes,"  said  the  elk.  So  they  made  him  very 
large.  At  last  they  said,  "Are  you  large  enough?" 
Pau-puk-kee-wis  said,  "  Yes." 

So  he  lived  with  the  elks.  One  cold  day  they  all 
went  into  the  woods  for  shelter.  Soon  some  of  the 

100 


THE  MISSISSIPPI  VALLEY 

herd  came  racing  by  like  a  strong  wind.  At  once  all 
began  to  run. 

"  Keep  out  on  the  prairies,"  they  said  to  Pau-puk- 
kee-wis. 

But  he  was  so  large  he  got  tangled  up  in  the  thick 
woods.  He  soon  smelt  the  hunters.  They  were  all 
following  his  trail.  Pau-puk-kee-wis  jumped  high. 
He  broke  down  saplings.  Then  the  hunters  shot  him. 
He  jumped  higher.  He  jumped  over  the  tree  tops. 
Then  all  the  hunters  shot  him.  So  they  killed  him. 
Then  they  skinned  him.  When  his  flesh  became  cold, 
the  spirit  of  Pau-puk-kee-wis  went  away. 

Thus  Pau-puk-kee-wis  had  many  adventures.  After 
a  long  time  Manabozho  killed  him.  Then  he  was 
really  dead  because  he  was  killed  in  his  human  form. 
Manabozho  said,  "  You  shall  not  be  permitted  to  live 
on  the  earth  again.  I  will  make  you  a  war  eagle.'' 

Thus  Pau-puk-kee-wis  became  a  war  eagle.  He 
lives  in  the  sky. 


101 


MYTHS  AND  LEGENDS  OF 


IAGOO,  THE  BOASTER1 

Ojibwa 

IAGOO  was  a  great  boaster.    Once  he  told  the 
people  of  a  water  lily  he  had  seen.    He  said  the 
leaf  was  large  enough  to  make  garments  for  his 
wife  and  daughter. 

One  evening  lagoo  was  sitting  in  his  wigwam,  on 
the  bank  of  the  river.  He  heard  ducks  quack  on  the 
stream.  He  shot  at  them,  without  aiming.  He  shot 
through  the  door  of  the  wigwam.  Behold!  His 
arrow  pierced  a  swan  flying  by.  It  killed  many  ducks 
in  the  stream.  The  arrow  flew  farther.  It  killed  two 

1  From  his  lodge  went  Pau-puk-keewis, 
Came  with  speed  into  the  village, 
Found  the  young  men  all  assembled 
In  the  lodge  of  old  lagoo, 
Listening  to  his  monstrous  stories, 
To  his  wonderful  adventures. 

Homeward  now  returned  lagoo, 
The  great  traveller,  the  great  boaster, 
Full  of  new  and  strange  adventures, 
Marvels  many  and  many  wonders. 

—  Hiawatha 

102 


THE  MISSISSIPPI  VALLEY 

loons,  just  coming  up  from  beneath  the  water.  Then 
it  killed  a  very  large  fish. 

lagoo  went  hunting.  He  followed  the  trail  of  the 
deer  through  the  forest.  He  shot  a  deer  and  skinned  it. 
He  lifted  the  meat  upon  his  shoulders.  As  he  came 
from  his  hunting  place,  lagoo  saw  a  person  on  a 
prairie  before  him.  He  pursued  that  person.  lagoo 
ran  half  a  day  after  that  one.  Then  he  remembered  the 
meat  upon  his  shoulders.  He  remembered  he  carried 
the  body  of  the  deer. 

lagoo  had  many  adventures.  He  found  mosquitoes 
in  a  bog-land.  They  were  very  large.  The  wing  of 
one  he  used  for  a  sail  for  his  canoe,  when  the  breeze 
blew.  The  nose  of  that  insect  was  as  large  as  his  wife's 
digging  stick. 

One  day  lagoo  watched  a  beaver's  lodge.  He 
watched  for  the  peering  head  of  a  beaver.  Behold! 
An  ant  went  by.  She  had  killed  a  hare.  She  dragged 
hare's  body  on  the  ground  behind  her. 


103 


MYTHS  AND  LEGENDS  OF 


OJEEG,  THE  SUMMER-MAKER 

Ojibwa 

OJEEG  was  a  great  hunter.  He  lived  on  the 
southern  shore  of  Lake  Superior.  Ojeeg  had 
a  wife  and  one  son. 

Now  the  son  hunted  game  as  the  father  taught  him. 
He  followed  the  trails  over  the  snow.  For  snow  lay 
always  on  the  ground.  It  was  always  cold.  Therefore 
the  boy  returned  home  crying. 

One  day  as  he  went  to  his  father's  wigwam  in  the 
cold  and  snow  he  saw  Red  Squirrel,  gnawing  the  end 
of  a  pine  cone.  Now  the  son  of  Ojeeg  had  shot  nothing 
all  day  because  his  hands  were  so  cold.  When  he  saw 
Red  Squirrel,  he  came  nearer,  and  raised  his  bow. 

Red  Squirrel  said,  "  My  grandson,  put  up  your 
arrow.  Listen  to  me." 

The  boy  put  the  arrow  in  his  quiver. 

Red  Squirrel  said,  "  You  pass  my  wigwam  very 
often.  You  cry  because  you  cannot  kill  birds.  Your 
fingers  are  numb  with  cold.  Obey  me.  Thus  it  shall 
always  be  summer.  Thus  you  can  kill  many  birds." 

104 


THE  MISSISSIPPI  VALLEY 

Red  Squirrel  said  again,  "  Obey  me.  When  you 
reach  your  father's  wigwam,  throw  down  your  bow 
and  arrows.  Begin  to  weep.  If  your  mother  says, 
'  My  son,  what  is  the  matter?'  do  not  answer  her. 
Continue  weeping.  If  she  says,  *  My  son,  eat  this,'  you 
must  refuse  the  food.  Continue  weeping.  In  the 
evening  when  your  father  comes  in  he  will  say  to  your 
mother,  '  What  is  the  matter  with  my  son?  '  She  will 
say,  '  He  came  in  crying.  He  will  not  tell  me.'  Your 
father  will  say,  '  My  son,  what  is  the  matter?  I  am  a 
spirit.  Nothing  is  too  hard  for  me.'  Then  you  must 
answer,  '  It  is  always  cold  and  dreary.  Snow  lies 
always  upon  the  ground.  Melt  the  snow,  my  father, 
so  that  we  may  have  always  summer.'  Then  your 
father  will  say,  *  It  is  very  difficult  to  do  what  you  ask. 
I  will  try.'  Then  you  must  be  quiet.  You  must  eat  the 
food  they  give  you." 

Thus  it  happened. 

Ojeeg  then  said,  "  I  must  make  a  feast.  I  must  invite 
my  friends  to  go  on  this  journey  with  me."  At  once 
Ojeeg  killed  a  bear.  The  next  day  he  had  a  great 
feast.  There  were  Otter,  Beaver,  and  Lynx.  Also 
Wolverine  and  Badger  were  at  the  feast. 

Then  they  started  on  their  journey.  On  the 
twentieth  day  they  came  to  the  foot  of  a  high  mountain. 
There  was  blood  in  the  trail.  Some  person  had  killed 

105 


MYTHS  AND  LEGENDS  OF 

an  animal.  They  followed  the  trail  of  that  person. 
They  arrived  at  a  wigwam. 

Ojeeg  said,  "  Do  not  laugh.    Be  very  quiet." 

A  man  stood  in  the  doorway  of  the  wigwam.  He 
was  a  great  manito.  He  was  a  head  only.  Thus  he 
was  very  strange.  Then  he  made  a  feast  for  them.  He 
made  very  curious  movements,  so  Otter  laughed.  At 
once  the  manito  leaped  upon  him.  He  sprang  on  him, 
but  Otter  slipped  out  from  under  him  and  escaped. 

The  manito  and  the  animals  talked  all  night.  The 
manito  said  to  Ojeeg,  the  Fisher,  "  You  will  succeed. 
You  will  be  the  summer-maker.  But  you  will  die. 
Yet  the  summer  will  come." 

Now  when  they  followed  the  trail  in  the  morning, 
they  met  Otter.  He  was  very  cold  and  hungry,  there 
fore  Fisher  gave  him  meat. 

Then  they  journeyed  on.  On  the  twentieth  day,  they 
came  to  the  top  of  a  lofty  mountain.  Then  they 
smoked  their  pipes. 

Then  Ojeeg,  the  Fisher,  and  the  animals  prepared 
themselves.  Ojeeg  said  to  Otter,  "  We  must  first  make 
a  hole  in  the  Sky-cover.  You  try  first." 

Otter  made  a  great  spring.  He  did  not  even  touch 
the  Sky-cover.  He  fell  back,  down  the  hill,  to  the 
bottom  of  the  hill.  Then  Otter  said,  "  I  will  go  home." 

So  he  did. 

106 


THE  MISSISSIPPI  VALLEY 

Then  Beaver  tried.  He  fell.  Also  Lynx  and 
Badger  fell. 

Then  Wolverine  tried.  He  made  a  great  leap  and 
touched  the  sky.  Then  he  leaped  again.  He  pressed 
against  the  Sky-cover.  He  leaped  a  third  time.  The 
Sky-cover  broke,  and  Wolverine  went  into  the  Sky- 
land.  Fisher  also  sprang  in  quickly  after  him. 

Thus  Wolverine  and  Fisher  were  in  the  Sky-plain, 
in  the  summer  land.  There  were  many  flowers  and 
streams  of  bright  water.  There  were  birds  in  the 
trees,  and  fish  and  water  birds  on  the  streams.  Many 
lodges  stood  there,  but  they  were  empty.  In  each  lodge 
were  many  mocuks,  many  bird  cages,  with  birds  in 
them. 

At  once  Ojeeg  began  to  cut  the  mocuks.  The  birds 
flew  out.  They  flew  down  through  the  hole  in  the  Sky- 
cover  to  the  Earth-plain  below.  They  carried  warm 
air  down  with  them. 

Now  when  the  people  of  the  Sky-land  saw  these 
strangers,  and  their  birds  escaping,  they  ran  to  their 
wigwams.  But  they  were  too  late.  Spring,  and  sum 
mer,  and  autumn  had  slipped  down  the  hole  in  the 
Sky-cover.  Endless  summer  was  just  passing  through, 
but  they  broke  it  in  two  with  a  blow.  Therefore  only 
a  part  of  endless  summer  came  down  to  the  Earth-plain. 

Now  when  Wolverine  heard  the  noise  of  the  sky 

107 


MYTHS  AND  LEGENDS  OF 

people,  running  to  their  lodges,  he  jumped  down  the 
hole  and  escaped.  Fisher  also  tried  to  jump,  but  the 
people  had  shut  the  cover.  Therefore  Fisher  ran  and 
the  people  pursued  him.  He  climbed  a  great  tree  in 
the  north,  and  the  people  began  shooting  at  him.  Now 
Fisher  was  a  spirit;  he  could  not  be  hurt  except  in  the 
tip  of  his  tail.  At  last  they  shot  him  in  his  tail. 

Fisher  called  to  the  Sky  People  to  stop  shooting. 
But  they  did  not  stop  until  darkness  came.  Then  they 
went  away.  Fisher  climbed  down.  He  went  towards 
the  north.  He  said,  "  I  have  kept  my  promise  to  my 
son.  The  seasons  will  now  be  different.  There  will 
be  many  moons  without  snow  and  cold." 

Thus  Fisher  died,  with  the  arrow  sticking  in  his  tail. 
It  can  be  seen  there,  even  to  this  day.1 


1  He  was  telling  them  the  story 
Of  Ojeeg  the  Summer-Maker, 
How  he  made  a  hole  in  heaven, 
How  he  climbed  up  into  heaven, 
And  let  out  the  summer-weather, 
The  perpetual  summer-weather. 
How  the  Otter  first  essayed  it, 
How  the  Beaver,  Lynx,  and  Badger, 
Tried  in  turn  the  great  achievement, 
From  the  summit  of  the  mountain 

—  Hiawatha 

108 


THE  MISSISSIPPI  VALLEY 


RABBIT  GOES  DUCK  HUNTING 

Cherokee 

RABBIT  was  very  boastful.    One  day  he  met 
Otter.    Otter  said,  "  Sometimes  I  eat  ducks." 
"  Well,  I  eat  ducks,  too,"  said  Rabbit. 

So  they  went  up  the  stream  until  they  saw  several 
ducks  in  the  water.  They  followed  the  trail  softly. 
Then  they  stood  on  the  river  bank. 

Rabbit  said,  "  You  go  first."  At  once  Otter  dived 
from  the  bank.  He  swam  under  water  until  he 
reached  a  duck;  then  he  pulled  it  under  quickly  so 
that  the  other  ducks  were  not  frightened.  While  he 
was  under  water,  Rabbit  peeled  bark  from  a  sapling 
and  made  a  noose. 

"  Now,  watch  me,"  he  said,  when  Otter  came  back. 
He  dived  in  and  swam  under  water  until  he  was  nearly 
choked.  So  he  came  to  the  top  to  breathe.  He  did  this 
several  times.  The  last  time  he  came  up  among  the 
ducks  and  threw  the  noose  over  the  head  of  one. 

Duck  spread  her  wings  and  flew  up,  with  Rabbit 
hanging  to  the  end  of  the  noose.  Up  and  up  flew  the 

109 


MYTHS  AND  LEGENDS  OF 

duck,  but  Rabbit  could  not  hold  on  any  longer.  Then 
he  let  go  and  dropped. 

Rabbit  fell  into  a  hollow  sycamore.  It  was  very 
tall,  and  had  no  hole  at  the  bottom.  Rabbit  stayed 
there  until  he  was  so  hungry  he  ate  his  own  fur,  even 
as  he  does  to  this  day. 

After  many  days,  he  heard  children  playing  around 
the  tree.  He  began  to  sing, 

Cut  a  door  and  look  at  me, 

I'm  the  prettiest  thing  you  ever  did  see. 

The  children  at  once  ran  home  to  tell  their  father. 
He  came  and  cut  a  hole  in  the  tree.  As  he  chopped 
away,  Rabbit  kept  singing, 

Cut  it  larger,  so  you  can  see  me.    I  am  very  pretty. 

• 

So  they  made  the  hole  larger.  Then  Rabbit  told 
them  to  stand  back  so  they  could  get  a  good  look  at 
him.  They  stood  back.  Then  Rabbit  sprang  out  and 
leaped  away. 


no 


THE  MISSISSIPPI  VALLEY 


RABBIT  AND  THE  TAR  BABY 

Biloxi 

RABBIT  aided  his  friend  the  Frenchman  with 
his    work.      They    planted    potatoes.     Rabbit 
looked  upon  the  potato  vines  as  his  share  of  the 
crop  and  ate  them  all. 

Again  Rabbit  aided  his  friend  the  Frenchman. 
This  time  they  planted  corn.  When  it  was  grown, 
Rabbit  said,  "  This  time  I  will  eat  the  roots."  So  he 
pulled  up  all  the  corn  by  the  roots,  but  he  found 
nothing  to  satisfy  his  hunger. 

Then  the  Frenchman  said,  "  Let  us  dig  a  well." 
Rabbit  said,  "  No.  You  dig  it  alone." 

The  Frenchman  said,  "  Then  you  shall  not  drink 
water  from  the  well." 

"  That  does  not  matter,"  said  Rabbit.  "  I  am  used  to 
licking  off  the  dew  from  the  ground." 

So  the  Frenchman  dug  his  well.  Then  he  made  a 
tar  baby  and  stuck  it  up  close  to  the  well.  One  day 
Rabbit  came  near  the  well,  carrying  a  long  piece  of 
hollow  cane  and  a  tin  bucket.  When  he  reached  the 
well  he  spoke  to  the  tar  baby;  it  did  not  answer. 

in 


MYTHS  AND  LEGENDS  OF 

"  Friend,  what  is  the  matter?  Are  you  angry? " 
asked  Rabbit. 

Tar  baby  did  not  answer.  So  Rabbit  hit  him  with 
a  forepaw.  The  forepaw  stuck  there. 

"  Let  me  go,"  said  Rabbit,  "  or  I  will  hit  you  on 
the  other  side." 

Tar  baby  paid  no  attention,  so  Rabbit  hit  him  with 
the  other  forepaw,  and  that  stuck  fast. 

"  I  will  kick  you,"  said  Rabbit.  But  when  he  kicked 
him  the  hindpaw  stuck. 

"  Very  well,"  he  said,  "  I  will  kick  you  with  the 
other  foot.  So  he  kicked  him  with  the  other  foot  and 
that  stuck  fast.  By  that  time  Rabbit  looked  like  a 
ball,  all  four  paws  sticking  to  the  tar  baby. 

Just  then  the  Frenchman  came  to  the  well.  He 
picked  Rabbit  up,  tied  his  paws  together,  laid  him 
down  and  scolded  him.  Rabbit  pretended  to  be  in 
great  fear  of  a  brier  patch. 

"  If  you  are  so  afraid  of  a  brier  patch,"  said  the 
Frenchman,  "  I  will  throw  you  into  one." 

"Oh,  no,  no!"  said  Rabbit. 

"  I  will  throw  you  into  the  brier  patch,"  repeated 
the  Frenchman. 

"  I  am  much  afraid  of  it,"  answered  Rabbit. 

"  Since  you  are  in  such  dread  of  it,  I  will  throw  you 
into  it,"  said  the  Frenchman.  So  he  picked  up  Rabbit 

112 


THE  MISSISSIPPI  VALLEY 

and  threw  him  far  into  the  brier  patch.    Rabbit  fell 
far  away  from  the  Frenchman. 

Then  he  picked  himself  up  and  ran  off,  laughing  at 
the  trick  he  had  played  on  the  Frenchman. 


113 


MYTHS  AND  LEGENDS  OF 


RABBIT  AND  TAR  WOLF 

Cherokee 

ONCE  the  weather  was  dry  for  so  long  that 
there  was  no  more  water  in  the  springs  and 
creeks.  The  animals  held  a  council  to  see 
what  to  do  about  it.  They  decided  to  dig  a  well,  and 
all  agreed  to  help,  except  Rabbit  who  was  a  lazy 
fellow. 

Rabbit  said,  "  I  don't  need  to  dig  for  water.  The 
dew  on  the  grass  is  enough  for  me." 

The  others  did  not  like  this,  but  they  all  started  to 
dig  the  well.  It  stayed  dry  for  a  long  while  and  even 
the  water  in  the  well  was  low.  Still  Rabbit  was 
lively  and  bright. 

"  Rabbit  steals  our  water  at  night,"  they  said.  So 
they  made  a  wolf  of  pine  gum  and  tar.  They  set  it 
by  the  well  to  scare  the  thief. 

That  night  Rabbit  came  again  to  the  well.  He  saw 
the  black  thing  there. 

"  Who's  there?  "  he  asked.  But  Tar  Wolf  did  not 
answer.  Rabbit  came  nearer.  Yet  Tar  Wolf  did  not 

114 


THE  MISSISSIPPI  VALLEY 

move.  Rabbit  grew  brave  and  said,  "  Get  out  of  my 
way." 

Tar  Wolf  did  not  move.  So  Rabbit  hit  him  with 
his  paw;  but  it  stuck  fast  in  the  gum. 

Rabbit  became  angry  and  said,  "  Let  go  my  paw! " 
Still  Tar  Wolf  said  nothing.  So  Rabbit  hit  him  with 
his  hind  foot;  that  stuck  in  the  gum. 

So  Tar  Wolf  held  Rabbit  fast  until  morning.  Then 
the  other  animals  came  for  water.  When  they  found 
Rabbit  stuck  fast,  they  made  great  fun  of  him  for  a 
while.  At  last  Rabbit  managed  to  get  away. 


MYTHS  AND  LEGENDS  OF 


RABBIT  AND  PANTHER 

Menominl 

RABBIT  was  a  great  boaster.  He  wanted  a 
medicine  lodge  and  to  have  people  think  he 
was  a  great  medicine  man. 

Now  one  day,  Wabus,  the  Rabbit,  and  his  wife  were 
traveling.  They  came  to  a  low  hill  covered  with  pop 
lar  sprouts.  They  were  green  and  tender.  Therefore 
Rabbit  decided  to  make  his  home  there. 

Rabbit  went  first  to  the  top  of  a  hill  and  built  a  wig 
wam.  He  made  trails  from  it  in  all  directions,  so  he 
might  see  anyone  who  approached. 

When  the  wigwam  was  finished,  Rabbit  told  his 
wife  he  was  going  to  dance;  but  first  he  ran  all  about 
the  hill  to  see  if  anyone  was  watching  him.  He  found 
no  trail.  Then  he  returned  and  began  his  song. 

Now  just  as  Rabbit  returned  to  his  wigwam, 
Panther  reached  the  base  of  the  hill,  and  he  found 
Rabbit's  trail.  He  followed  it  until  he  reached  the 
place  where  Rabbit  and  his  wife  were  dancing.  Here 
he  hid  to  watch  Rabbit. 

Now  Rabbit  told  his  wife  to  sit  at  one  end  of  the 

116 


THE  MISSISSIPPI  VALLEY 

lodge  while  he  went  to  the  other.  He  took  his  medi 
cine  bag.  Then  he  approached  her  four  times, 
chanting, 

Ye  ha-a-a-a-a        Ye  ha-a-a-a-a 
Ye  ha-a-a-a-a        Ye  ha-a-a-a-a 

Then  he  shot  at  his  wife,  just  as  a  medicine  man  does 
when  he  shoots  at  a  new  member.  Then  Rabbit's  wife 
arose  and  shot  at  him.  Thus  they  were  very  happy. 

Then  Rabbit  began  to  sing  a  song  which  meant 
this :  "  If  Panther  comes  across  my  trail  while  I  am 
biting  the  bark  from  the  poplars,  he  will  not  be  able 
to  catch  me  for  I  am  a  good  runner." 

When  he  had  finished  his  song,  Rabbit  told  his  wife 
he  would  go  out  hunting.  Panther  waited  for  his 
return. 

Now  as  Rabbit  started  home  again  he  was  very 
happy.  But  when  he  reached  Panther's  hiding  place, 
his  enemy  sprang  on  his  trail.  Rabbit  saw  him  and 
started  back  on  his  trail.  Panther  raced  after  him. 
He  caught  him  and  said, 

"  You  are  the  man  who  said  I  could  not  catch  you. 
Now  who  is  the  fastest  runner?  "  And  before  Rabbit 
could  answer  Panther  ate  him  up.  But  Rabbit  was 
such  a  boastful  man. 


117 


MYTHS  AND  LEGENDS  OF 


HOW  RABBIT  STOLE  OTTER'S  COAT 

Cherokee 

AjL,  the  animals  were  of  different  sizes  and  wore 
different  coats.  Some  wore  long  fur  and 
others  wore  short  fur.  Some  had  rings  on 
their  tails;  others  had  no  tails  at  all.  The  coats  of  the 
animals  were  of  many  colors  —  brown,  or  black,  or 
yellow,  or  gray. 

The  animals  were  always  quarreling  about  whose 
coat  was  the  finest.  Therefore  they  held  a  council  to 
decide  the  matter. 

Now  everyone  had  heard  a  great  deal  about  Otter, 
but  he  lived  far  up  the  trail;  he  did  not  often  visit  the 
others.  It  was  said  he  had  the  finest  coat  of  all,  but 
it  was  so  long  since  they  had  seen  him  that  no  one 
remembered  what  it  was  like.  They  did  not  even  know 
just  where  he  lived,  but  they  knew  he  would  come 
when  he  heard  of  the  council. 

Rabbit  was  afraid  the  council  would  say  that  Otter 
had  the  finest  coat.  He  learned  by  what  trail  Otter 
would  come  to  the  council.  Then  he  went  a  four  days* 
march  up  the  trail  to  meet  him.  At  last  he  saw  Otter 

118 


THE  MISSISSIPPI  VALLEY 

coming.  He  knew  him  at  once  by  his  beautiful  coat  of 
soft  brown  fur. 

Otter  said,  "  Where  are  you  going?  " 

"  They  sent  me  to  bring  you  to  the  council," 
answered  Rabbit.  "  They  were  afraid  you  might  not 
know  the  trail." 

So  Rabbit  turned  back  and  they  traveled  together. 
They  traveled  all  day.  At  night  Rabbit  picked  out  a 
camping  place.  Otter  was  a  stranger  in  that  part. 
Rabbit  cut  down  bushes  for  beds  and  made  everything 
comfortable.  Next  morning  they  started  on  again. 

In  the  afternoon,  Rabbit  picked  up  pieces  of  bark 
and  wood,  as  they  followed  the  trail,  and  loaded  them 
on  his  back. 

"  Why  are  you  doing  that?  "  asked  Otter. 

"  So  that  we  may  be  warm  and  comfortable  tonight," 
said  Rabbit.  Near  sunset  they  stopped  and  made 
camp.  After  supper  Rabbit  began  to  whittle  a  stick, 
shaving  it  down  to  a  paddle. 

"  Why  are  you  doing  that?  "  asked  Otter  again. 

"  Oh,"  said  Rabbit,  "  I  have  good  dreams  when  I 
sleep  with  a  paddle  under  my  head." 

When  the  paddle  was  finished,  Rabbit  began  to  cut 
a  good  trail  through  the  bushes  to  the  river. 

"  Why  are  you  doing  that?  "  asked  Otter. 

"  This  is  called  '  The  Place  Where  It  Rains  Fire,' 

119 


MYTHS  AND  LEGENDS  OF 

and  sometimes  it  does  rain  fire  here,"  said  Rabbit. 
"  The  sky  looks  a  little  that  way  tonight.  You  go  to 
sleep  and  I  will  sit  up  and  watch.  If  you  hear  me 
shout,  you  run  and  jump  into  the  river.  Better  hang 
your  coat  on  that  limb  over  there,  so  it  will  not  get 
burned." 

Otter  did  as  Rabbit  told  him;  then  both  curled  up 
and  Otter  went  to  sleep.  But  Rabbit  stayed  awake. 
After  a  while  the  fire  burned  down  to  red  coals.  Rab 
bit  called  to  Otter;  he  was  fast  asleep.  Then  he  called 
again,  but  Otter  did  not  awaken. 

Then  Rabbit  rose  softly.  He  filled  the  paddle  with 
hot  coals,  threw  them  up  into  the  air  and  shouted,  "  It's 
raining  fire!  It's  raining  fire!  " 

The  hot  coals  fell  on  Otter  and  he  jumped  up. 

"  To  the  river,"  shouted  Rabbit  and  Otter  fled  into 
the  water.  So  he  has  lived  in  the  water  ever  since. 

Rabbit  at  once  took  Otter's  coat  and  put  it  on,  leav 
ing  his  own  behind.  Then  he  followed  the  trail  to  the 
council. 

All  the  animals  were  waiting  for  Otter.  At  last  they 
saw  him  coming  down  the  trail.  They  said  to  each 
other,  "  Otter  is  coming!  "  They  sent  one  of  the  small 
animals  to  show  him  the  best  seat.  After  he  was  seated, 
the  animals  all  went  up  in  turn  to  welcome  him.  But 
Otter  kept  his  head  down  with  one  paw  over  his  face. 

120 


THE  MISSISSIPPI  VALLEY 

The  animals  were  surprised.  They  did  not  know 
Otter  was  so  bashful.  At  last  Bear  pulled  the  paw 
away.  There  was  Rabbit!  He  sprang  up  and  started 
to  run.  Bear  struck  at  him  and  pulled  the  tail  off  his 
coat.  But  Rabbit  was  too  quick  and  got  safely  away. 


121 


MYTHS  AND  LEGENDS  OF 


RABBIT  AND  BEAR 

Biloxi 

RABBIT  and  Bear  had  been  friends  for  some 
time.  One  day  Rabbit  said  to  Bear,  "  Come 
and  visit  me.  I  live  in  a  very  large  brier 
patch."  Then  he  went  home. 

When  he  reached  home  he  .went  out  and  gathered  a 
quantity  of  young  canes  which  he  hung  up. 

After  a  while  Bear  reached  a  place  near  his  house, 
but  was  seeking  the  large  brier  patch.  Now  Rabbit 
really  dwelt  in  a  very  small  patch.  When  Rabbit 
found  that  Bear  was  near,  he  began  to  make  a  patter 
ing  sound  with  his  feet. 

Bear  was  scared.  He  retreated  to  a  distance  and 
then  stopped  and  stood  listening.  As  soon  as  Rabbit 
saw  this,  he  cried  out,  "  Halloo!  my  friend!  Was  it 
you  whom  I  treated  in  that  manner?  Come  and  take  a 
seat." 

So  Bear  went  back  to  Rabbit's  house  and  took  a  seat. 
Rabbit  gave  the  young  canes  to  his  guest,  who  swal 
lowed  them  all.  Rabbit  nibbled  now  and  then  at  one, 
while  Bear  swallowed  all  the  others. 

122 


THE  MISSISSIPPI  VALLEY 

"  This  is  what  I  have  always  liked,"  said  Bear  when 
he  went  home.  "  Come  and  visit  me.  I  dwell  in  a 
large  bent  tree." 

Not  long  after,  Rabbit  started  on  his  journey.  He 
spent  some  time  seeking  the  large  bent  tree  but  he 
could  not  find  it.  Bear  lived  in  a  hollow  tree,  and  he 
sat  there  growling.  Rabbit  heard  the  growls  and  fled 
for  some  distance  before  he  sat  down. 

Then  Bear  called,  "Halloo!  my  friend!  Was  it 
you  whom  I  treated  in  that  manner?  Come  here  and 
sit  down." 

Rabbit  did  so. 

Bear  said,  "  You  are  now  my  guest,  but  there  is 
nothing  for  you  to  eat."  So  Bear  went  in  search  of 
food. 

Bear  went  to  gather  young  canes,  but  as  he  went 
along,  he  gathered  also  the  small  black  bugs  which 
live  in  decayed  logs.  When  he  had  been  gone  some 
time,  he  returned  to  his  lodge  with  only  a  few  young 
canes.  He  put  them  down  before  Rabbit  and  then 
walked  around  him  in  a  circle.  In  a  little  while,  he 
offered  Rabbit  the  black  bugs. 

"  I  have  never  eaten  such  food,"  said  Rabbit. 

Bear  was  offended.  He  said,  "  When  I  was  your 
guest,  I  ate  all  the  food  you  gave  me,  as  I  liked  it  very 
well.  Now  when  I  offer  you  food,  why  do  you  treat 

123 


MYTHS  AND  LEGENDS  OF 

me  in  this  way?  "  Then  Bear  said,  also,  "  Before  the 
sun  sets,  I  shall  kill  you." 

Rabbit's  heart  beat  hard  from  terror,  for  Bear  stood 
at  the  entrance  of  the  hollow  log  to  prevent  his  escape. 
But  Rabbit  was  very  nimble.  He  dodged  first  this 
way  and  then  that,  and  with  a  long  leap  he  got  out  of 
the  hollow  tree.  He  went  at  once  to  his  brier  patch 
and  sat  down. 

Rabbit  was  very  angry  with  Bear.  He  shouted  to 
him,  "  When  people  are  hunting  you,  I  will  go  toward 
your  hiding  place,  and  show  them  where  you  are." 

That  is  why,  when  dogs  hunt  a  rabbit,  they  always 
shoot  a  bear.  That  is  all. 


124 


THE  MISSISSIPPI  VALLEY 


WHY  DEER  NEVER  EAT  MEN 

M  en  o  mini 

ATER  Rabbit  had  decided  about  light  and  dark 
ness,  he  saw  Owasse,  the  Bear,  coming. 

Rabbit  said,  "  Bear,  what  do  you  want  for 
food?"     Bear  said,  "Acorns  and  fruit." 

Then  Rabbit  asked  Fish  Hawk.  He  said,  "  Fish 
Hawk,  what  will  you  select  for  your  food?  " 

Fish  Hawk  said,  "  I  will  take  that  fellow,  Sucker, 
lying  in  the  water  there." 

Sucker  said  at  once,  "  You  may  eat  me  if  you  can,  but 
that  has  still  to  be  decided." 

Sucker  at  once  swam  out  into  the  deepest  part  of 
the  river,  where  Fish  Hawk  could  not  reach  him. 
Then  Fish  Hawk  rose  into  the  air  to  a  point  where 
his  shadow  fell  exactly  on  the  spot  where  Sucker  lay. 
Now  as  Sucker  lay  there,  he  saw  the  shadow  of  a  large 
bird  on  the  bed  of  the  stream.  He  became  frightened. 
He  thought,  "  It  must  be  a  manido,"  so  he  swam 
slowly  to  the  surface.  At  once  Fish  Hawk  darted 
down  on  him  and  carried  him  into  the  air.  Then  he 
ate  him. 

Rabbit  looked  about  him  again.    He  saw  Moqwaio, 

125 


MYTHS  AND  LEGENDS  OF 

the  Wolf.    He  cried,  "  Ho,  Wolf!    What  do  you  wish 
for  food?" 

Wolf  said,  "  I  will  eat  Deer."  Deer  said,  "  You 
cannot  eat  me,  because  I  can  run  too  swiftly."  Wolf 
said,  "  We  will  see  about  that."  So  they  had  a  race. 
Deer  started  ahead  and  ran  very  swiftly.  Wolf  ran 
swiftly,  too,  but  his  fur  robe  was  too  heavy.  At  last 
he  thought,  "  This  robe  is  too  heavy.  I  will  slip  it 
off."  So  he  threw  it  off.  Then  he  bounded  ahead  and 
caught  Deer  and  ate  him. 

Then  Rabbit  asked  another  Deer,  of  the  same  totem, 
"  Deer,  what  will  you  select  as  food?  " 

Deer  said,  "  I  will  eat  people.  There  are  many  In 
dians  in  the  country.  I  will  eat  them." 

At  once  all  the  animals  began  to  talk.  They  said  to 
Deer,  "  The  Indian  is  too  powerful.  You  can  never 
eat  him." 

Deer  said,  "  Well,  I  will  plan  to  eat  Indians,  any 
way."  Then  he  walked  off. 

Now  one  day  an  Indian  was  out  hunting.  He  saw 
deer  tracks  to  the  right  and  so  followed  them.  They 
went  in  a  large  circle  until  they  brought  him  back 
where  he  had  started.  Then  he  saw  deer  tracks  to  the 
left.  So  he  followed  those,  until  they  also  brought  him 
back,  in  a  large  circle,  to  the  point  where  he  started. 
Then  the  Indian  saw  that  Deer  was  following  him. 

126 


THE  MISSISSIPPI  VALLEY 

Deer  was  determined  to  eat  the  Indians,  because 
there  were  many  of  them.  It  would  not  be  difficult  to 
hunt  for  food.  But  first  he  wanted  to  frighten  the 
hunter.  So  he  pulled  two  ribs  from  his  sides,  and 
stuck  them  into  his  lower  jaw.  They  looked  like 
tusks.  Deer  looked  very  fierce.  Then  Deer  came 
walking  along,  looking  for  an  Indian.  But  the  hunter 
raised  his  bow  and  shot  Deer.  He  carried  the  deer 
meat  back  to  his  wigwam. 

The  shade  of  Deer  at  once  went  to  the  council  of 
birds  and  animals.  He  told  Rabbit  all  about  it. 

Rabbit  said,  "  I  told  you  that  you  could  not  eat  peo 
ple.  You  see  how  it  is?  Now  you  will  have  to  live 
on  grass  and  twigs." 

And  so  they  do,  even  to  this  day. 


127 


MYTHS  AND  LEGENDS  OF 


HOW  RABBIT  SNARED  THE  SUN 

Biloxi 

RABBIT  and  his  grandmother  lived  in  a  wig 
wam.     Rabbit  used  to  go  hunting  every  day, 
very  early  in  the  morning.    But  no  matter  how 
early  he  went,  a  person  leaving  long  footprints  had 
passed  along  ahead  of  him.     Each  morning  Rabbit 
thought,  "  I  will  reach  there  before  him."    Yet  each 
morning   the   person   leaving  long   footprints   passed 
before  him. 

One  morning  Rabbit  said  to  his  grandmother,  "  Oh, 
Grandmother,  although  I  have  long  wished  to  be  the 
first  to  get  there,  again  has  he  got  there  ahead  of  me. 
Oh,  Grandmother,  I  will  make  a  noose,  and  I  will 
place  it  in  the  trail  of  that  one,  and  thus  I  will  catch 
him." 

"  Why  should  you  do  that?  "  asked  grandmother. 

"  I  hate  that  person,"  said  Rabbit.  He  departed. 
When  he  reached  there,  he  found  that  the  person  had 
already  departed.  So  he  lay  down  near  by  and  waited 
for  night.  Then  he  went  to  the  trail  where  the  per 
son  with  long  feet  had  been  passing,  and  set  a  snare. 

128 


THE  MISSISSIPPI  VALLEY 

Very  early  the  next  morning  he  went  to  look  at  his 
trap.  Behold!  Sun  had  been  caught.  Rabbit  ran 
home  very  quickly. 

"  Oh,  Grandmother,  I  have  caught  something  but  it 
scares  me.  I  wished  to  take  the  noose,  but  it  scared  me 
every  time  I  went  to  get  it." 

Then  Rabbit  took  a  knife  and  again  went  there. 
The  person  said,  "  You  have  done  very  wrong.  Come 
and  release  me." 

Rabbit  did  not  go  directly  toward  him.  He  went  to 
one  side.  He  bent  his  head  low  and  cut  the  cord.  At 
once  Sun  went  above  on  his  trail.  But  Rabbit  had 
been  so  near  him  that  Sun  burned  his  fur  on  the  back 
of  his  neck. 

Rabbit  ran  home.  He  cried,  "  Oh,  Grandmother,  I 
have  been  severely  burned." 

"Alas!  My  grandson  has  been  severely  burned," 
said  grandmother. 


129 


MYTHS  AND  LEGENDS  OF 


WHEN  THE  ORPHAN  TRAPPED 

THE  SUN 

Ojibiva 

AJIMALS  and  men  lived  on  the  earth  in  the  be 
ginning.    The   animals   killed   all   the   people 
except  a  girl  and  her  tiny  brother,  who  hid 
from  them.    The  brother  did  not  grow  at  all.    There 
fore  when  the  sister  collected  firewood,  she  took  him 
with  her.     She  made  him  a  bow  and  arrow. 

One  day  she  said,  "  Now  I  must  leave  you  for  a 
while.  Soon  the  snowbirds  will  come  and  pick  worms 
out  of  the  wood  I  have  cut.  Shoot  one  of  them  and 
bring  it  to  me." 

The  boy  waited.  The  birds  came  and  he  shot  at 
them  with  his  arrows.  He  could  not  kill  one.  The 
next  day  he  shot  at  them  again.  Then  he  killed  one. 
He  came  back  to  the  wigwam  with  a  bird. 

He  said,  "  My  sister,  skin  it.  I  will  wear  the  skins 
of  the  snowbirds." 

"  What  shall  we  do  with  the  body?  "  she  asked. 
"  Cut  it  in  two.    We  will  put  it  in  our  broth."    Now 

130 


THE  MISSISSIPPI  VALLEY 

at  that  time,  the  animals  were  very  large.  People  did 
not  eat  them. 

The  boy  killed  ten  snowbirds.  Then  his  sister  made 
a  coat  for  him.  One  day  he  said,  "  Are  we  alone  on 
the  Earth-plain?" 

She  said,  "  The  animals  who  live  in  such  a  place 
have  killed  all  our  relatives.  You  must  never  go 
there."  Therefore  he  went  in  that  direction. 

Now  he  walked  a  long  while  and  met  no  one.  Then 
he  lay  down  on  a  knoll  where  the  sun  had  melted  the 
snow.  He  fell  asleep.  Then  Sun  looked  down  at  him 
and  burned  his  bird-skin  coat.  He  tightened  it  so  that 
the  boy  was  bound  into  it.  When  he  awoke,  the  boy 
said  to  Sun,  "  You  are  not  too  high.  I  will  pay  you 
back." 

He  went  home.  He  said  to  his  sister,  "  Sun  has 
spoiled  my  coat."  He  would  not  eat.  He  lay  down  on 
the  ground.  He  lay  ten  days  on  one  side.  Then  he 
turned  over  and  lay  ten  days  on  the  other  side. 

At  last  he  rose.  He  said  to  his  sister,  "  Make  me  a 
snare.  I  shall  catch  Sun." 

She  said,  "  I  have  no  string."  The  boy  said,  "  Make 
a  string."  Then  she  remembered  a  bit  of  dried  sinew 
which  her  father  had  had.  So  she  made  a  snare  for 
him. 

The  boy  said,  "  That  will  not  do.  Make  a  better 

131 


MYTHS  AND  LEGENDS  OF 

snare."  She  said,  "  I  have  no  string."  At  last  she  re 
membered.  She  cut  off  some  of  her  hair.  She  made 
a  string  from  that. 

The  boy  said,  "  That  will  not  do.  Make  me  a  noose." 
She  thought  again.  Then  she  remembered.  She  went 
out  of  the  wigwam.  She  took  something.  She  made  a 
braid  out  of  that  thing. 

The  boy  said,  "This  will  do."  He  was  much 
pleased.  When  he  took  it,  it  became  a  long  red  cord. 
There  was  much  of  it.  He  wound  it  around  his  body. 

The  boy  left  the  wigwam  while  Sun  was  at  home. 
He  did  this  so  that  he  might  catch  him  as  he  came  over 
the  edge  of  the  earth.  He  put  the  noose  at  the  spot 
just  where  Sun  came  over  the  edge.  When  Sun  came 
along,  the  noose  caught  his  head.  He  was  held  tight, 
so  that  he  could  not  follow  his  trail  in  the  Sky-land. 

Now  the  animals  who  ruled  the  earth  were  fright 
ened  because  Sun  did  not  follow  the  trail.  They  said, 
"  What  shall  we  do?  "  So  they  called  a  great  council. 
They  said,  "  We  must  send  someone  to  cut  the  noose." 
Thus  they  spoke  in  the  council. 

Now  all  the  animals  were  afraid  to  cut  the  cord. 
Sun  was  so  hot  he  would  burn  them.  At  last  Dor 
mouse  said,  "  I  will  go."  He  stood  up  in  the  council. 
He  was  as  high  as  a  mountain.  He  was  the  largest  of 
all  the  animals. 

132 


THE  MISSISSIPPI  VALLEY 

When  Dormouse  reached  the  place  where  Sun  was 
snared,  his  fur  began  to  singe  and  his  back  to  burn.  It 
was  very  hot.  Dormouse  cut  the  cord  with  his  teeth. 
But  so  much  of  him  was  burned  up,  he  became  very 
small.  Therefore  Dormouse  is  the  smallest  of  ani 
mals.  That  is  why  he  is  called  Kug-e-been-gwa-kwa. 


133 


MYTHS  AND  LEGENDS  OF 


THE  HARE  AND  THE  LYNX 

Ojibwa 

ONCE  there  was  a  little  white  hare,  living  in 
a    wigwam    with    her    grandmother.     Now 
Grandmother  sent  Hare  back  to  her  native 
land.    When  Hare  had  gone  a  short  way,  Lynx  came 
down  the  trail.    Lynx  sang: 

Where,  pretty  white  one, 
Where,  pretty  white  one, 
Where  do  you  go? 

"  Tshwee!  Tshwee!  Tshwee!  Tshwee!  "  cried  Hare, 
and  ran  back  to  Grandmother. 

"  See,  Grandmother,"  she  said,  "  Lynx  came  down 
the  trail  and  sang, 

Where,  pretty  white  one, 

Where,  pretty  white  one, 

Where  do  you  go?" 

"  Ho!  "  said  Grandmother.  "  Have  courage!  Tell 
Lynx  you  are  going  to  your  native  land." 

134 


THE  MISSISSIPPI  VALLEY 

Hare  went  back  up  the  trail.  Lynx  stood  there,  so 
Hare  sang, 

To  the  point  of  land  I  go, 
There  is  the  home  of  the  little  white  one, 
There  I  go. 

Lynx  looked  at  the  trembling  little  hare,  and  began 
to  sing  again, 

Little  white  one,  tell  me, 
Little  white  one,  tell  me, 
Why  are  your  ears  so  thin  and  dry? 

''  Tshwee!  Tshiveef  Tshwee!  Tshwee! "  cried  little 
Hare,  and  ran  back  to  Grandmother. 

"  See,  Grandmother,"  said  Hare,  "  Lynx  came  down 
the  trail  and  sang, 

Little  white  one,  tell  me, 
Little  white  one,  tell  me, 
Why  are  your  ears  so  thin  and  dry?" 

"  Ho!"  said  Grandmother,  "  Go  and  tell  him  your 
uncles  made  them  so  when  they  came  from  the  South." 
So  Hare  ran  up  the  trail  and  sang, 

My  uncles  came  from  the  south ; 
They  made  my  ears  as  they  are. 
They  made  them  thin  and  dry. 

135 


MYTHS  AND  LEGENDS  OF 

And  then  Hare  laid  her  little  pink  ears  back  upon 
her  shoulders,  and  started  to  go  to  the  point  of  land. 
But  Lynx  sang  again, 

Why  do  you  go  away,  little  white  one? 
Why  do  you  go  away,  little  white  one? 
Why  are  your  feet  so  dry  and  swift? 

"  Tshwee!  Tshwee!  Tshwee!  Tshwee!"  cried  Hare 
and  again  she  ran  back  to  Grandmother. 

"  Ho!  do  not  mind  him,"  said  Grandmother.  "  Do 
not  listen  to  him.  Do  not  answer  him.  Just  run 
straight  on." 

So  the  little  white  hare  ran  up  the  trail  as  fast  as 
she  could.  When  she  came  to  the  place  where  Lynx 
had  stood,  he  was  gone.  So  Hare  ran  on  and  had 
almost  reached  her  native  land,  on  the  point  of  land, 
when  Lynx  sprang  out  of  the  thicket  and  ate  her  up. 


136 


THE  MISSISSIPPI  VALLEY 


WELCOME  TO  A  BABY 

Cherokee 

ETLE  WREN  is  the  messenger  of  the  Birds. 
She  pries  into  everything.  She  gets  up  early 
in  the  morning  and  goes  around  to  every  wig 
wam  to  get  news  for  the  Bird  council.  When  a  new 
baby  comes  into  a  wigwam,  she  finds  out  whether  it  is 
a  boy  or  a  girl. 

If  it  is  a  boy,  the  Bird  council  sings  mournfully, 
"Alas!  The  whistle  of  the  arrow!  My  shins  will 
burn!"  Because  the  Birds  all  know  that  when  the 
boy  grows  older  he  will  hunt  them  with  his  bows  and 
arrows,  and  will  roast  them  on  a  stick. 

But  if  the  baby  is  a  girl,  they  are  glad.  They  sing, 
"Thanks!  The  sound  of  the  pestle!  In  her  wigwam 
I  shall  surely  be  able  to  scratch  where  she  sweeps." 
Because  they  know  that  when  she  grows  older  and 
beats  the  corn  into  meal,  they  will  be  able  to  pick  up 
stray  grains. 

Cricket  also  is  glad  when  the  baby  is  a  girl.  He 
sings,  "Thanks!  I  shall  sing  in  the  wigwam  where 
she  lives."  But  if  it  is  a  boy,  Cricket  laments,  "  Gwo- 

137 


MYTHS  AND  LEGENDS  OF 

he!  He  will  shoot  me!  He  will  shoot  mel  He  will 
shoot  me!"  Because  boys  make  little  bows  to  shoot 
crickets  and  grasshoppers. 

When  the  Cherokee  Indians  hear  of  a  new  baby, 
they  ask,  "  Is  it  a  bow,  or  a  meal  sifter?  "  Or  else  they 
ask,  "  Is  it  ball-sticks  or  bread?" 


138 


THE  MISSISSIPPI  VALLEY 


BABY  SONG 

Cherokee 

Ha  wi  ye      hy  u  we, 
Ha  wi  ye      hy  u  we. 
Yu  we      yu  we  he, 
Ha  wi  ye      hy  u  we. 

The  Bear  is  very  bad,  so  they  say, 

Long  time  ago  he  was  very  bad,  so  they  say. 

The  Bear  did  so  and  so,  they  say. 


139 


MYTHS  AND  LEGENDS  OF 


I 


SONG  TO  THE  FIREFLY 

Ojlbwa 

N  THE  hot  summer  evenings,  when  the  grassy 
patches  around  the  lakes  and  rivers  sparkle  with 
fireflies,  the  Indians  sing  a  song  to  them. 

Flitting  white-fire-bug, 

Flitting  white-fire-bug, 

Give  me  your  light  before  I  go  to  sleep. 

Give  me  your  light  before  I  go  to  sleep. 

Come,  little  waving  fire-bug. 

Come,  little  waving  fire-bug. 

Light  me  with  your  bright  torch. 

Light  me  with  your  bright  torch.1 


1  Saw  the  fire-fly,  Wah-wah-taysee, 
Flitting  through  the  dusk  of  evening, 
With  the  twinkle  of  its  candle, 
Lighting  up  the  brakes  and  bushes; 
And  he  sang  the  song  of  children, 
Sang  the  song  Nokomis  taught  him; 

"  Wah^wah-taysee,  little  fire-fly, 
Little,  flitting,  white-fire  insect     .      .      .  " 

—  Hiawatha 

140 


THE  MISSISSIPPI  VALLEY 


SONG  OF  THE  MOTHER  BEARS 

Cherokee 

ONE  day  a  hunter  in  the  woods  heard  singing  in 
a  cave.    He  came  near  and  peeped  in.    It  was 
a  mother  bear  singing  to  her  cubs  and  telling 
them  what  to  do  when  the  hunters  came  after  them. 
Mother  Bear  said, 

When  you  hear  the  hunter  coming  down  the  creek,  then 
Tsagi,     tsagi,     hwilahi, 
Tsagi,     tsagi,     hwilahi, 
Upstream,  upstream,  you  must  go. 
Upstream,  upstream,  you  must  go. 

But  if  you  hear  them  coming  down  stream, 

Ge-i,     ge-i,     hwilahi, 

Ge-i,     ge-i,     hwilahi, 

Downstream,  downstream,  you  must  go. 

Downstream,  downstream,  you  must  go. 

Another  hunter  out  in  the  woods  one  day  thought 
he  heard  a  woman  singing  to  a  baby.  He  followed 
the  sound  up  a  creek  until  he  came  to  a  cave  under  the 
bushes.  Inside  there  was  a  mother  bear  rocking  her 
cub  in  her  paws  and  singing  to  it, 

141 


MYTHS  AND  LEGENDS  OF 

Let  me  carry  you  on  my  back, 
Let  me  carry  you  on  my  back, 
Let  me  carry  you  on  my  back, 
Let  me  carry  you  on  my  back, 
On  the  sunny  side  go  to  sleep. 
On  the  sunny  side  go  to  sleep. 

This  was  after  some  of  the  people  had  become  bears. 
The  hunter  knew  they  were  of  the  Ani  Tsagulin 
tribe.1 


1  See  "  Origin  of  the  Bear." 

142 


THE  MISSISSIPPI  VALLEY 


THE  MAN  IN  THE  STUMP 

Cherokee 

AJ  INDIAN  had  a  field  of  corn  ripening  in  the 
sun.     One  day  when  he  wanted  to  look  at  it, 
he  climbed  a  stump.     Now  the  stump  was  hol 
low  and  in  it  was  a  nest  of  bear  cubs.    The  man  slipped 
and  fell  down  upon  the  cubs. 

At  once  the  cubs  began  calling  for  their  mother,  and 
Mother  Bear  came  running.  She  began  to  climb  down 
into  the  stump  backwards.  Then  the  Indian  caught 
hold  of  her  leg;  thus  she  became  frightened.  She  be 
gan  to  climb  out  and  dragged  the  Indian  also  to  the 
top  of  the  stump.  Thus  he  got  out  of  the  stump. 


MYTHS  AND  LEGENDS  OF 


THE  ANTS  AND  THE  KATYDIDS 

Biloxi 

THE  Ancient  of  Ants  was  building  a  house. 
She  worked  hard  to  finish  her  house  before 
the  cold  weather  came. 

Now  when  it  was  very  cold,  the  Katydid  and  the 
Locust  reached  her  house,  asking  for  shelter.  They 
said  they  had  no  houses. 

The  Ancient  of  Ants  scolded  them.  She  said, 
"  After  you  are  grown  up,  in  the  warm  weather,  you 
sing  all  the  time,  instead  of  building  a  house."  She 
would  not  let  them  come  into  her  house. 

Then  the  Katydid  and  the  Locust  were  ashamed, 
and  as  the  weather  was  very  cold,  they  died.  That  is 
why  katydids  and  locusts  die  every  winter,  while  the 
ants  live  in  their  warm  houses.  But  the  katydids  and 
locusts  never  do  anything  in  warm  weather  but  sing. 


144 


THE  MISSISSIPPI  VALLEY 


WHEN  THE  OWL  MARRIED 

Cherokee 

ONCE  there  was  a  widow  with  only  one  daugh 
ter.  She  said  often,  "  You  should  marry  and 
then  there  will  be  a  man  to  go  hunting." 

Then  one  day  a  man  came  courting  the  daughter. 
He  said,  "  Will  you  marry  me?  " 

The  girl  said,  "  I  can  only  marry  a  good  worker. 
We  need  a  man  who  is  a  good  hunter  and  who  will 
work  in  the  cornfield." 

"  I  am  exactly  that  sort  of  a  man,"  he  said.  So  the 
mother  said  they  might  marry. 

Then  the  next  morning  the  mother  gave  the  man  a 
hoe.  She  said,  "  Go,  hoe  the  corn.  When  breakfast 
is  ready  I  will  call  you."  Then  she  went  to  call  him. 
She  followed  a  sound  as  of  someone  hoeing  on  stony 
soil.  When  she  reached  the  place,  there  was  only  a 
small  circle  of  hoed  ground.  Over  in  the  thicket  some 
one  said,  "  Hoo-hoo! " 

When  the  man  came  back  in  the  evening,  the  mother 
said,  "  Where  have  you  been  all  day?  " 

He  said,  "  Hard  at  work." 


MYTHS  AND  LEGENDS  OF 

The  mother  said,  "  I  couldn't  find  you." 

"  I  was  over  in  the  thicket  cutting  sticks  to  mark  off 
the  field/'  he  said. 

"  But  you  did  not  come  to  the  lodge  to  eat  at  all," 
she  answered. 

"  I  was  too  busy,"  he  said. 

Early  the  next  morning  he  started  off  with  his  hoe 
over  his  shoulder. 

Then  the  mother  went  again  to  call' him,  when  the 
meal  was  ready.  The  hoe  was  lying  there,  but  there 
was  no  sign  of  work  done.  And  away  over  in  the 
thicket,  she  heard  a  hu-hu  calling,  Sau-h!  sau-h! 
sau-h!  hoo-hoo!  hoo-hoo!  hoo-hoo!  chi!  chi!  chi! 
whew! 

Now  when  the  man  came  home  that  night,  the 
mother  asked, 

"  What  have  you  been  doing  all  day?  " 

"  Working  hard,"  he  said. 

"  But  you  were  not  there  when  I  came  after  you." 

"  Oh,  I  went  over  in  the  thicket  awhile,"  said  the 
man,  "  to  see  some  of  my  relatives." 

Then  the  mother  said,  "  I  have  lived  here  a  long 
while,  and  no  one  lives  in  that  swamp  but  lazy  hu-hus. 
My  daughter  wants  a  husband  that  can  work  and  not  a 
hu-hu!"  And  she  drove  him  from  the  house. 


146 


THE  MISSISSIPPI  VALLEY 


K 


THE  KITE  AND  THE  EAGLE 

ITE  was  very  boastful.  One  day  he  spoke 
scornfully  of  Eagle,  who  heard  his  words. 
Kite  began  to  sing  in  a  loud  voice, 

I  alone, 

I  alone, 

Can  go  up, 

So  as  to  seem  as  if  hanging  from  the  blue  sky. 

Eagle  answered  scornfully.    He  sang, 

Who  is  this, 
Who  is  this, 
Who  boasts  of  flying  so  high? 

Kite  was  ashamed.  He  answered  in  a  small  voice, 
"  Oh,  I  was  only  singing  of  the  great  Khakate.  It  is 
he  who  is  said  to  fly  so  high." 

Eagle  answered,  "Oh,  you  crooked  tongue!  You 
are  below  my  notice." 

Then  Eagle  soared  high  into  the  sky.  But  just  as 
soon  as  he  was  out  of  hearing,  Kite  began  to  sing  again 
in  a  very  loud  voice, 

I  alone, 

I  alone, 

Can  go  up, 

So  as  to  seem  as  if  hanging  from  the  blue  sky. 

H7 


MYTHS  AND  LEGENDS  OF 


THE  LINNET  AND  THE  EAGLE 

Ojibiva 

A/L  the  Birds  met  in  council,  each  claiming  to 
fly  the  highest.     Each  one  claimed  to  be  the 
chief.    Therefore    the    council    decided    that 
each  bird  should  fly  toward  the  Sky-land. 

Some  of  the  birds  flew  very  swiftly;  but  they  tired 
and  flew  back  to  earth.  Now  Eagle  went  far  above  all. 
When  Eagle  could  fly  no  farther,  Linnet,  who  had 
perched  upon  Eagle's  back,  flew  up.  Far  above  Eagle 
flew  the  tiny  gray  bird. 

Now  when  the  Birds  held  a  council  again,  Eagle 
was  made  chief.  Eagle  had  flown  higher  than  all  the 
rest,  and  had  carried  Linnet  on  his  back. 


148 


THE  MISSISSIPPI  VALLEY 


HOW  PARTRIDGE  GOT  HIS  WHISTLE 

Cherokee 

IN  THE  old  days,  Terrapin  had  a  fine  whistle  and 
Partridge  had  none.  Terrapin  whistled  con 
stantly.  He  was  always  boasting  of  his  fine 
whistle. 

One  day  Partridge  said,  "  Let  me  try  your  whistle." 

Terrapin  said,  "  No."  He  was  afraid  Partridge 
would  try  some  trick. 

Partridge  said,  "  Oh,  if  you  are  afraid,  stay  right 
here  while  I  use  it." 

So  Terrapin  gave  it  to  him.  Partridge  strutted 
around,  whistling  constantly. 

He  said,  "  How  does  it  sound  with  me?  " 

"  You  do  it  very  well,"  said  Terrapin,  walking  by 
his  side. 

"Now  how  do  you  like  it?"  asked  Partridge, 
running  ahead. 

"  It's  fine,"  said  Terrapin,  trying  to  keep  up  with 
him.  "  But  don't  run  so  fast!  " 

"  How  do  you  like  it  now? "  asked  Partridge, 

149 


MYTHS  AND  LEGENDS  OF 

spreading  his  wings  and  flying  to  a  tree  top.    Terrapin 
could  only  look  up  at  him. 

Partridge  never  gave  the  whistle  back.  He  has  it 
even  to  this  day.  And  Terrapin  was  so  ashamed  be 
cause  Partridge  stole  his  whistle,  and  Turkey  had 
stolen  his  scalp,  that  he  shuts  himself  up  in  his  box 
whenever  anyone  comes  near  him. 


150 


THE  MISSISSIPPI  VALLEY 


HOW  KINGFISHER  GOT  HIS  BILL 

Cherokee 

SOME  of  the  old  men  say  that  Kingfisher  was 
meant  in  the  beginning  to  be  a  water  bird,  but 
because  he  had  no  web  on  his  feet  and  not  a  good 
bill,  he  could  not  get  enough  to  eat.  The  animals 
knew  of  this,  so  they  held  a  council.  Afterwards  they 
made  him  a  bill  like  a  long,  sharp  awl.  This  fish  gig 
he  was  to  use  spearing  fish.  When  they  fastened  it  on 
to  his  mouth,  he  flew  first  to  the  top  of  a  tree.  Then  he 
darted  down  into  the  water  and  came  up  with  a  fish  on 
his  bill.  And  ever  since,  Kingfisher  has  been  the  best 
fisherman. 

But  some  of  the  old  people  say  it  was  this  way. 

Blacksnake  found  Yellowhammer's  nest  in  the  hol 
low  tree  and  killed  all  the  young  birds.  Yellowham- 
mer  at  once  went  to  the  Little  People  for  help.  They 
sent  her  to  Kingfisher.  So  she  went  on  to  him. 

Kingfisher  came  at  once,  and  after  flying  back  and 
forth  past  the  hole  in  the  hollow  tree,  he  made  a  quick 
dart  at  the  snake  and  pulled  him  out,  dead.  When 
they  looked,  they  saw  he  had  pierced  Blacksnake  with 

151 


MYTHS  AND  LEGENDS  OF 

a  slender  fish  he  carried  in  his  bill.  Therefore  the 
Little  People  said  he  would  make  good  use  of  a  spear, 
so  they  gave  him  his  long  bill. 


152 


THE  MISSISSIPPI  VALLEY 


WHY  THE  BLACKBIRD  HAS 
RED  WINGS 

Chitlmacha 

ONE  day  an  Indian  became  so  angry  with  every 
one  that  he  set  the  sea  marshes  on  fire  because 
he  wanted  to  burn  up  the  world. 
A  little  blackbird  saw  it.     He  flew  up  into  a  tree 
and  shouted,  "  Ku  nam  <wi  cu!    Ku  nam  wi  cu!    The 
world  and  all  is  going  to  burn." 

The  man  said,  "  If  you  do  not  go  away,  I  will  kill 
you."  But  the  bird  only  kept  shouting,  "  Ku  nam  <wi 
cut  The  world  and  all  is  going  to  burn." 

Then  the  Indian  threw  a  shell  and  hit  the  little  bird 
on  the  wings,  making  them  bleed.  That  is  how  the 
red-winged  blackbird  came  by  its  red  wings. 

Now  when  people  saw  the  marshes  burning,  they 
quickly  ran  down  and  killed  game  which  had  been 
driven  from  it  by  the  fire.  Then  they  said  to  the  angry 
man, 

"  Because  you  put  fire  in  those  tall  weeds,  the  deer 
and  bear  and  other  animals  have  been  driven  out  and 

153 


MYTHS  AND  LEGENDS  OF 

we  have  killed  them.    You  have  aided  us  by  burning 
them." 

Nowadays  when  the  red-winged  blackbird  comes 
around  the  house,  he  still  shouts,  Ku  nam  <wi  cu,  so 
they  say. 


154 


THE  MISSISSIPPI  VALLEY 


BALL  GAME  OF  THE  BIRDS  AND 

ANIMALS 

Cherokee 

ONCE  the  Animals  challenged  the  Birds  to  a 
great  ball  play,  and  the  Birds  accepted.    The 
Animals  met  near  the  river,  in  a  smooth  grassy 
field.    The  Birds  met  in  the  tree  top  over  by  the  ridge. 

Now  the  leader  of  the  Animals  was  Bear.  He  was 
very  strong  and  heavy.  All  the  way  to  the  river  he 
tossed  up  big  logs  to  show  his  strength  and  boasted  of 
how  he  would  win  against  the  Birds.  Terrapin  was 
with  the  Animals.  He  was  not  the  little  terrapin  we 
have  now,  but  the  first  Terrapin.  His  shell  was  so 
hard  the  heaviest  blows  could  not  hurt  him,  and  he 
was  very  large.  On  the  way  to  the  river  he  rose  on 
his  hind  feet  and  dropped  heavily  again.  He  did  this 
many  times,  bragging  that  thus  he  would  crush  any 
bird  that  tried  to  take  the  ball  from  him.  Then  there 
was  Deer,  who  could  outrun  all  the  others.  And  there 
were  many  other  animals. 

Now  the  leader  of  the  Birds  was  Eagle;  and  also 
Hawk,  and  the  great  Tlanuwa.  They  were  all  swift 
and  strong  of  flight. 

i55 


MYTHS  AND  LEGENDS  OF 

Now  first  they  had  a  ball  dance.  Then  after  the 
dance,  as  the  birds  sat  in  the  trees,  two  tiny  little  ani 
mals  no  larger  than  field  mice  climbed  up  the  tree 
where  Eagle  sat.  They  crept  out  to  the  branch  tips 
to  Eagle. 

They  said,  "  We  wish  to  play  ball." 

Eagle  looked  at  them.  They  were  four-footed.  He 
said,  "  Why  don't  you  join  the  Animals?  You  belong 
there." 

"  The  Animals  make  fun  of  us,"  they  said.  "  They 
drive  us  away  because  we  are  small." 

Eagle  pitied  them.  He  said,  "  But  you  have  no 
wings." 

Then  at  once  Eagle  and  Hawk  and  all  the  Birds 
held  a  council  in  the  trees.  At  last  they  said  to  the 
little  fellows,  "  We  will  make  wings  for  you." 

But  they  could  not  think  just  how  to  do  it.  Then  a 
Bird  said,  "  The  head  of  our  drum  is  made  of  ground 
hog  skin.  Let  us  make  wings  from  that."  So  they 
took  two  pieces  of  leather  from  the  drum  and  shaped 
them  for  wings.  They  stretched  them  with  cane 
splints  and  fastened  them  on  the  forelegs  of  one  of  the 
little  animals.  So  they  made  Tlameha,  the  Bat.  They 
began  to  teach  him. 

First  they  threw  the  ball  to  him.  Bat  dropped  and 
circled  about  in  the  air  on  his  new  wings.  He  did  not 

156 


THE  MISSISSIPPI  VALLEY 

let  the  ball  drop.    The  Birds  saw  at  once  he  would 
be  one  of  their  best  men. 

Now  they  wished  to  give  wings  also  to  the  second 
little  animal,  but  there  was  no  more  leather.  And 
there  was  no  more  time.  Then  somebody  said  they 
might  make  wings  for  the  other  man  by  stretching  his 
skin.  Therefore  two  large  birds  took  hold  from  oppo 
site  sides  with  their  strong  bills.  Thus  they  stretched 
his  skin.  Thus  they  made  Tewa,  the  Flying  Squirrel. 

Then  Eagle  threw  to  him  the  ball.  At  once  Flying 
Squirrel  sprang  after  it,  caught  it  in  his  teeth,  and 
carried  it  through  the  air  to  another  tree  nearby. 

Then  the  game  began.  Almost  at  the  first  toss,  Fly 
ing  Squirrel  caught  the  ball  and  carried  it  up  a  tree. 
Then  he  threw  it  to  the  Birds,  who  kept  it  in  the  air 
for  some  time.  When  it  dropped  to  the  earth,  Bear 
rushed  to  get  it,  but  Martin  darted  after  it  and  threw 
it  to  Bat,  who  was  flying  near  the  ground.  Bat  doubled 
and  dodged  with  the  ball,  and  kept  it  out  of  the  way  of 
Deer.  At  last  Bat  threw  it  between  the  posts.  So  the 
Birds  won  the  game. 

Bear  and  Terrapin,  who  had  boasted  of  what  they 
would  do,  never  had  a  chance  to  touch  the  ball. 

Because  Martin  saved  the  ball  when  it  dropped  to 
the  ground,  the  Birds  afterwards  gave  him  a  gourd  in 
which  to  build  his  nest.  He  still  has  it. 

i57 


MYTHS  AND  LEGENDS  OF 


WHY  THE  BIRDS  HAVE  SHARE 
TAILS 

Biloxi 

ONCE  upon  a  time,  they  say,  the  world  turned 
over.    Then  the  waters   rose  very  high   and 
many  people  died.    A  woman  took  two  chil 
dren  and  lodged  in  a  tree.     She  sat  there  waiting  for 
the  waters  to  sink,  for  she  had  no  way  of  reaching  the 
ground. 

When  the  woman  saw  the  Ancient  of  Red-headed 
Buzzards,  she  called  to  him,  "  Help  me  to  get  down 
and  I  will  give  you  one  of  the  children."  He  assisted 
her,  but  she  did  not  give  him  the  child. 

The  waters  were  so  deep  that  the  birds  were  cling 
ing  by  their  claws  to  the  clouds,  but  their  tails  were 
under  water.  That  is  why  their  tails  are  always  sharp. 
One  of  these  birds  was  the  Ancient  of  Yellowhammers. 
Therefore  its  tailfeathers  are  sharp  at  the  ends.  The 
large  Red-headed  Woodpecker  was  there,  too,  and  the 
Ivory-billed  Woodpecker,  and  that  is  why  their  tails 
have  their  present  shape. 

158 


From  Report  of  the  Bureau  of  American  Ethnology. 

i.    From  a  Mound    Missouri.  3.    From   a  Mound,   Illinois. 

rom   a   Stone   Grave,   Illinois.     4.    From    a    Mound,    Tennessee, 

SPIDER  GORGETS. 


THE  MISSISSIPPI  VALLEY 


THE  WILDCAT  AND  THE  TURKEYS 

Biloxi 

THE  Ancient  of  Wildcats  had  been  creeping 
up  on  the  Wild  Turkeys  trying  to  catch  some. 
He  tried  in  vain.  Then  he  got  a  bag,  crawled 
inside,  and  rolled  himself  along.  He  rolled  himself  to 
the  Ancient  of  Turkey  Gobblers. 

Wildcat  said,  "  Get  into  my  bag  and  see  what  fun 
it  is  to  roll." 

The  Ancient  of  Turkey  Gobblers  crawled  into  the 
bag.  Wildcat  tied  up  the  end  and  rolled  it  along  for 
some  time.  After  he  had  rolled  it  quite  a  distance,  he 
stopped  and  untied  the  bag. 

"  It  is  very  good,"  said  the  First  of  All  the  Turkey 
Gobblers.  Then  he  said  to  the  other  Wild  Turkeys, 
"  Get  in  the  bag  and  see  how  pleasant  it  is." 

But  the  young  Turkeys  were  afraid.  Gobbler  urged 
them  to  try  the  new  game.  At  last  one  young  Turkey 
stepped  into  the  bag.  Wildcat  tied  the  end  and  pre 
tended  that  he  was  going  to  roll  it.  It  would  not  go. 

"  It  will  not  go  because  it  is  too  light.  There  is  only 

159 


MYTHS  AND  LEGENDS  OF 

one  in  it,"  said  Wildcat.  "  Let  another  young  Turkey 
step  in." 

At  last  another  young  Turkey  stepped  in.  Wildcat 
tied  the  bag,  threw  it  over  his  shoulder  and  ran  home. 
When  he  reached  home  he  laid  the  bag  down. 

Then  Wildcat  said  to  his  mother,  "  I  have  brought 
home  something  on  my  back,  and  placed  it  outside. 
Beware  lest  you  untie  the  bag." 

His  mother  said  to  herself,  "  I  wonder  what  it  can 
be."  So  she  untied  the  bag.  One  of  the  turkeys  flew 
out.  She  managed  to  catch  the  other  one.  She  caught 
both  feet  with  one  hand,  and  both  wings  with  the 
other.  She  cried  out,  "  Help!  Help!  I  have  caught 
four!" 

The  Ancient  of  Wildcats  scolded  his  mother.  Then 
he  killed  the  turkey  and  cooked  it.  His  mother  went 
into  another  room. 

Then  Wildcat  spread  his  feast.  As  he  was  eating 
the  Turkey  he  made  a  constant  noise.  He  walked 
back  and  forth.  He  talked  continually  and  kept  up  a 
steady  rattling.  When  he  stopped  the  noise  a  little  he 
said,  "  I  am  going  home,"  as  if  a  guest  were  speaking. 
He  said  this  again  and  again.  He  made  a  noise  with 
his  feet  as  if  people  were  walking  about.  He  ate  all 
the  turkey  except  the  hip  bone. 


160 


THE  MISSISSIPPI  VALLEY 


THE  BRANT  AND  THE  OTTER 

Biloxi 

ONCE  upon  a  time  the  Ancient  of  Brants  and  the 
Ancient  of  Otters  were  living  as  friends.  One 
day  the  Ancient  of  Otters  said  to  the  Ancient 
of  Brants,  "  Come  to  see  me  tomorrow,"  and  departed. 

Brant  went  to  make  the  call.  When  he  arrived,  the 
Ancient  of  Otters  said,  "  Halloo!  I  have  nothing  at 
all  for  you  to  eat!  Sit  down!  "  Then  he  went  fishing. 
He  used  a  "  leather  vine  "  which  he  jerked  now  and 
then  to  straighten  it.  He  caught  many  fish.  When  he 
reached  home  he  cooked  them. 

When  the  fish  were  cooked,  ready  for  the  feast,  the 
Ancient  of  Otters  put  some  into  a  very  flat  dish.  But 
the  Ancient  of  Brants  could  not  eat  from  a  flat  dish. 
All  he  could  do  was  to  hit  his  bill  against  the  dish, 
and  raise  his  head  as  if  swallowing  something.  But 
Otter  ate  rapidly. 

Otter  said  to  his  guest,  "  Have  you  eaten  enough?  " 

"Yes,  I  am  satisfied,"  said  Brant. 

"No,  you  are  not  satisfied,"  said  Otter.  He  took 
more  fish  and  placed  them  in  the  flat  dish,  eating 

161 


MYTHS  AND  LEGENDS  OF 

rapidly  as  before.  Brant  could  only  hit  his  bill  against 
the  side  of  the  dish. 

When  the  Ancient  of  Brants  was  departing,  he  said 
to  Otter,  "  Come  to  see  me  tomorrow." 

When  Otter  reached  the  house  of  the  Ancient  of 
Brants  the  next  day,  Brant  cried,  "Halloo!  I  have 
nothing  at  all  to  give  you  to  eat!  Sit  down!" 

Then  the  Ancient  of  Brants  went  fishing,  using  a 
"  leather  vine "  which  he  jerked  now  and  then  to 
straighten  it.  He  caught  many  fish  and  took  them 
home  to  cook  them.  When  the  fish  were  cooked,  they 
began  to  feast.  But  the  Ancient  of  Brants  had  put 
some  into  a  small  round  dish.  Ancient  of  Otters  could 
not  get  his  mouth  into  the  dish.  But  Brant  ate  rapidly. 

"Have  you  eaten  enough?"  Brant  asked,  after  a 
while. 

Otter  replied,  "  Yes,  I  am  satisfied." 

"Nonsense!"  said  the  Ancient  of  Brants.  "How 
could  you  possibly  be  satisfied!  I  have  served  you  as 
you  served  me." 

But  this  ended  their  friendship. 


162 


THE  MISSISSIPPI  VALLEY 


THE  TINY  FROG  AND  THE  PANTHER 

Biloxi 

THE  Ancient  of  Tiny  Frogs  *  was  shut  up  by 
his  grandmother,  so  that  he  might  learn 
magic.  Then  she  took  him  on  a  journey. 

First  they  met  the  Ancient  of  Panthers.  The  grand 
mother  said  to  him,  "  This  is  your  sister's  son.  Look 
at  him  and  wrestle  with  him."  The  Ancient  of  Pan 
thers  was  very  brave.  To  show  his  strength,  he  climbed 
very  high  up  a  tree  which  he  tore  to  pieces,  falling  to 
the  ground  with  it. 

Then  he  seized  the  Ancient  of  Tiny  Frogs.  But  the 
frog  caught  him  by  the  hind  legs  and  whipped  him 
against  a  tree.  He  beat  him  so  severely  that  Panther's 
jaw  was  broken  in  many  places.  That  is  why  all 
panthers  have  a  short  jaw. 

The  Ancient  of  Tiny  Frogs  and  his  grandmother 
continued  their  journey.  Next  they  met  Bear.  The 
grandmother  said  to  him,  "  Look  at  your  sister's  son. 

1  The  tiny  frog,  called  peska,  is  a  black  one,  not  more  than  an  inch 
long,  living  in  muddy  streams  in  Louisiana.  It  differs  from  the  bull 
frog,  common  frog,  and  tree  frog. 

163 


MYTHS  AND  LEGENDS  OF 

Go  and  wrestle  with  him."  Bear  began  to  pull  the 
limbs  off  a  tree  to  show  his  strength.  Soon  he  rushed 
upon  the  Ancient  of  Tiny  Frogs.  But  that  one  caught 
Bear  by  the  hind  legs  and  beat  him  against  a  tree  until 
he  broke  off  short  his  tail.  That  is  why  bears  have  such 
very  short  tails. 

Again  the  old  grandmother,  singing  as  she  walked, 
went  along  the  trail  with  her  grandson.  They  met 
Buffalo.  She  said,  "  Look  at  your  sister's  son.  Go  and 
wrestle  with  him."  Now  Buffalo  was  very  strong. 
With  his  horns  he  uprooted  a  tree,  and  then  spent  some 
moments  in  breaking  it  to  pieces.  Then  he  rushed  at 
the  Ancient  of  Tiny  Frogs.  But  that  one  caught  Buf 
falo  by  the  hind  legs  and  beat  him  against  a  tree.  He 
beat  him  until  the  back  of  his  neck  was  broken  and  he 
had  a  great  hump  on  his  shoulders.  So  Buffalo  went 
away,  but  that  is  why  buffaloes  have  such  very  heavy, 
humpbacked  shoulders. 

Again  they  walked  along  the  trail,  singing.  It  was 
not  long  before  they  met  with  Deer.  To  him  the 
grandmother  said,  "  Look  at  your  sister's  son.  Go  and 
wrestle  with  him."  Deer  leaped  up  to  show  his  agility. 
Then  he  sprang  at  the  Ancient  of  Tiny  Frogs.  But 
that  one  seized  him  by  the  legs  and  beat  him  against  a 
tree,  breaking  his  nose,  and  leaving  him  with  a  very 
small  nose,  even  as  deer  today  have  small  noses. 

164 


THE  MISSISSIPPI  VALLEY 

Then  the  Ancient  of  Tiny  Frogs  said  to  Deer:  "  I 
shall  remain  here  under  the  leaves.  When  hunters  are 
after  you  and  have  almost  reached  you,  I  will  urge  you 
to  escape  by  saying,  "Pis!  Pesl  When  I  say  that,  do 
your  best  to  get  away." 

Hardly  had  he  finished  speaking,  when  he  cried  out, 
"Pesl  Pes!  It  is  so!  Go  quickly!  Do  your  best!" 
Then  Deer  leaped  away.  For  just  then  the  hunters 
had  come,  sure  enough. 

Therefore,  when  a  tiny  frog  cries  out  now,  people 
say  that  some  one  is  on  the  point  of  running  after  a 
deer. 


165 


MYTHS  AND  LEGENDS  OF 


THE  FRIGHTENER  OF  HUNTERS 

Choc  taw  (Bayou  Lacomb) 

KASHEHOTAPALO    is     the     frightener     of 
hunters.    His  head  is  small  and  dried  up,  like 
an  old  man's.    His  legs  and  feet  are  like  those 
of  a  deer.    He  lives  in  low,  swampy  places,  far  away 
from  men. 

If  the  hunters  come  near  him,  when  they  are  chasing 
a  deer,  he  slips  up  behind  them  and  calls  loudly.  Thus 
he  frightens  them  away.  His  voice  is  like  that  of  a 
woman.  His  name  means  "  the  woman  call." 


166 


THE  MISSISSIPPI  VALLEY 


THE  HUNTER  AND  THE  ALLIGATOR 

Choctaw  (Bayou  Lacomb) 

AL  the  hunters  in  a  village  killed  many  deer  one 
winter,  except  one  man.  This  one  saw  many 
deer.  Sometimes  he  drew  his  bow  and  shot  at 
them;  yet  they  escaped. 

Now  this  hunter  had  been  away  from  his  village 
three  days.  He  had  seen  many  deer;  not  one  had  he 
killed.  On  the  third  day,  when  the  sun  was  hot  over 
his  head,  he  saw  an  alligator. 

Alligator  was  in  a  dry,  sandy  spot.  He  had  had  no 
water  for  many  days.  He  was  dry  and  shriveled. 

Alligator  said  to  the  hunter,  "  Where  can  water  be 
found?"  The  hunter  said,  "In  that  forest,  not  far 
away,  is  cold  water." 

"  I  cannot  go  there  alone,"  said  Alligator.  "  Come 
nearer.  Do  not  fear."  The  hunter  went  nearer,  but  he 
was  afraid. 

"You  are  a  hunter,"  said  Alligator,  "but  all  the 
deer  escape  you.  Carry  me  into  the  water,  and  I  will 
make  you  a  great  hunter.  You  shall  kill  many  deer." 

The  hunter  was  still  afraid.  Then  he  said,  "  I  will 

167 


MYTHS  AND  LEGENDS  OF 

carry  you,  but  first  I  must  bind  you  so  that  you  cannot 
scratch  me;  and  your  mouth,  so  that  you  cannot 
bite  me." 

So  Alligator  rolled  over  on  his  back  and  let  the 
hunter  bind  him.  He  fastened  his  legs  and  mouth 
firmly.  Then  he  carried  Alligator  on  his  shoulders  to 
the  water  in  the  forest.  He  unfastened  the  cords  and 
threw  him  in. 

Alligator  came  to  the  surface  three  times.  He  said, 
"  Take  your  bow  and  arrow  and  go  into  the  woods. 
You  will  find  a  small  doe.  Do  not  kill  it.  Then  you 
will  find  a  large  doe.  Do  not  kill  it.  You  will  meet 
a  small  buck.  Do  not  kill  that.  Then  you  will  meet  a 
large,  old  buck.  Kill  that." 

The  hunter  took  his  bow  and  arrow.  Everything 
happened  just  as  Alligator  had  foretold.  Then  he 
killed  the  large,  old  buck.  So  he  became  a  very  great 
hunter.  There  was  always  venison  in  his  wigwam. 


168 


THE  MISSISSIPPI  VALLEY 


S 


THE  GROUNDHOG  DANCE 

Cherokee 

EVEN  wolves  once  caught  a  groundhog.  They 
said,  "  Now  we'll  kill  you  and  have  something 
to  eat." 

Groundhog  said,  "  When  we  find  good  food,  we 
should  rejoice  over  it,  as  people  do  in  the  green-corn 
dances.  You  will  kill  me,  and  I  cannot  help  myself. 
But  if  you  want  to  dance,  I'll  sing  for  you.  Now  this 
is  a  new  dance.  I  will  lean  up  against  seven  trees  in 
turn.  You  will  dance  forward  and  then  go  back.  At 
the  last  turn  you  may  kill  me." 

Now  the  Wolves  were  very  hungry,  but  they  wanted 
to  learn  the  new  dance.  Groundhog  leaned  up  against 
a  tree  and  began  to  sing.  He  sang, 

Ho  wi  ye  a  hi 

and  all  the  Wolves  danced  forward.    When  he  shouted 
"  Yul"  they  turned  and  danced  back  in  line. 

"  That's  fine,"  said  Groundhog,  after  the  first  dance 

169 


MYTHS  AND  LEGENDS  OF 

was  over.  Then  he  went  to  the  next  tree  and  began 
the  second  song.  He  sang, 

Hi  ya  yu  we, 

and  the  Wolves  danced  forward.  When  he  shouted 
"  Yu!  "  they  danced  back  in  a  straight  line. 

At  each  song,  Groundhog  took  another  tree,  getting 
closer  and  closer  to  his  hole  under  a  stump.  At  the 
seventh  song,  Groundhog  said, 

"  Now  this  is  the  last  dance.  When  I  shout  '  Yu! ' 
all  come  after  me.  The  one  who  gets  me  may 
have  me." 

Then  he  sang  a  long  time,  until  the  Wolves  were  at 
quite  a  distance  in  a  straight  line.  Then  he  shouted 
"  Tut"  and  darted  for  his  hole. 

At  once  the  Wolves  turned  and  were  after  him.  The 
foremost  Wolf  caught  his  tail  and  gave  it  such  a  jerk 
he  broke  it  off.  That  is  why  Groundhog  has  such  a 
short  tail. 


170 


THE  MISSISSIPPI  VALLEY 


THE  RACOON 

M  en  o  mini 

ONE  day  Racoon  went  into  the  woods  to  fast  and 
dream.    He  dreamed  that  someone  said  to  him, 
"  When  you  awaken,  paint  your  face  and  body 
with  bands  of  black  and  white.     That  will  be  your 


own." 


When  Racoon  awoke,  he  painted  himself  as  he  had 
been  told  to  do.    So  we  see  him,  even  to  the  present  day. 


171 


MYTHS  AND  LEGENDS  OF 


WHY  THE  OPOSSUM  PLAYS  DEAD 

Biloxi 

THE  Ancient  of  Opossums  thought  that  he 
would  reach  a  certain  pond  very  early  in  the 
morning,  so  that  he  might  catch  the  crawfish 
on  the  shore.  But  someone  else  reached  there  first, 
and  when  Opossum  reached  there  the  crawfish  were 
all  gone. 

This  person  did  this  every  day.  Opossum  did  not 
know  who  it  was,  so  he  lay  in  wait  for  him.  He  found 
it  was  the  Ancient  of  Racoons. 

They  argued  about  the  crawfish  and  the  pond.  They 
agreed  to  see  which  could  rise  the  earlier  in  the  morn 
ing*  g°  around  the  shore  of  the  pond  and  catch  the 
crawfish. 

Racoon  said,  "  I  rise  very  early.  I  never  sleep  until 
daylight  comes." 

Opossum  said  the  same  thing.  Then  each  went 
home. 

Now  Opossum  lay  down  in  a  hollow  tree  and  slept 
there  a  long  time.  He  arose  when  the  sun  was  very 
high  and  went  to  the  pond.  But  Racoon  had  been 

172 


THE  MISSISSIPPI  VALLEY 

there  ahead  of  him,  and  had  eaten  all  the  crawfish. 
Racoon  sang  the  Song  of  the  Racoon  as  he  was  going 
home.  Opossum  stood  listening.  He,  too,  sang.  He 
sang  the  Song  of  the  Opossum,  thus : 

Hi  na    ki-yu     wus-se-di 

He  met  the  Racoon  who  had  eaten  all  the  crawfish. 

"Ha!"  said  Racoon.  "I  have  been  eating  very 
long,  and  I  was  going  home,  as  I  was  sleepy." 

Opossum  said,  "  I,  too,  have  been  eating  so  long  that 
I  am  sleepy,  so  I  am  going  home." 

Opossum  was  always  telling  a  lie.  People  say  this 
of  the  Opossum  because  if  one  hits  that  animal  and 
throws  it  down  for  dead,  soon  it  gets  up  and  walks  off. 


173 


MYTHS  AND  LEGENDS  OF 


WHY  THE  'POSSUM'S  TAIL  IS  BARE 

Cherokee 

POSSUM  used  to  have  a  long,  bushy  tail  and  he 
was  so  proud  of  it  that  he  combed  it  out  every 
morning  and  sang  about  it  at  the  dance.  Now 
Rabbit  had  had  no  tail  since  Bear  pulled  it  off  because 
he  was  jealous.  Therefore  he  planned  to  play  a  trick 
on  'Possum. 

The  animals  called  a  great  council.  They  planned 
to  have  a  dance.  It  was  Rabbit's  business  to  send  out 
the  news.  One  day  as  he  was  passing  'Possum's  house, 
he  stopped  to  talk. 

"  Are  you  going  to  the  council?  "  he  asked. 

"  Yes,  if  I  can  have  a  special  seat,"  said  'Possum. 
"  I  have  such  a  handsome  tail  I  ought  to  sit  where 
everyone  can  see  me." 

Rabbit  said,  "  I  will  see  that  you  have  a  special  seat. 
And  I  will  send  someone  to  comb  your  tail  for  the 
dance."  'Possum  was  very  much  pleased. 

Rabbit  at  once  went  to  Cricket,  who  is  an  expert  hair 
cutter;  therefore  the  Indians  call  him  the  barber.  He 
told  Cricket  to  go  the  next  morning  and  comb 


THE  MISSISSIPPI  VALLEY 

'Possum's  tail  for  the  dance.    He  told  Cricket  just  what 
to  do. 

In  the  morning,  Cricket  went  to  'Possum's  house. 
'Possum  stretched  himself  out  on  the  floor  and  went  to 
sleep,  while  Cricket  combed  out  his  tail  and  wrapped 
a  red  string  around  it  to  keep  it  smooth  until  night. 
But  all  the  time,  as  he  wound  the  string  around,  he  was 
snipping  off  the  hair  closely.  'Possum  did  not  know  it. 
When  it  was  night,  'Possum  went  to  the  council  and 
took  his  special  seat.  When  it  was  his  turn  to  dance, 
he  loosened  the  red  string  from  his  tail  and  stepped 
into  the  middle  of  the  lodge. 

The  drummers  began  to  beat  the  drum.  'Possum 
began  to  sing,  "  See  my  beautiful  tail." 

Every  man  shouted  and  'Possum  danced  around  the 
circle  again,  singing,  "  See  what  a  fine  color  it  has." 
They  all  shouted  again,  and  'Possum  went  on  dancing, 
as  he  sang,  "  See  how  it  sweeps  the  ground." 

Then  the  animals  all  shouted  so  that  'Possum  won 
dered  what  it  meant.  He  looked  around.  Every  man 
was  laughing  at  him.  Then  he  looked  down  at  his 
beautiful  tail.  It  was  as  bare  as  a  lizard's  tail.  There 
was  not  a  hair  on  it. 

He  was  so  astonished  and  ashamed  that  he  could  not 
say  a  word.  He  rolled  over  on  the  ground  and  grinned, 
just  as  he  does  today  when  taken  by  surprise. 


MYTHS  AND  LEGENDS  OF 


WHY  'POSSUM  HAS  A  LARGE  MOUTH 

Choctaw  (Bayou  Lacomb) 

VERY  little  food  there  was  for  Deer  one  dry 
season.    He  became  thin  and  weak.    One  day 
he  met  'Possum.     Deer  at  once   exclaimed, 
"  Why,  'Possum,  how  fat  you  are!    How  do  you  keep 
so  fat  when  I  cannot  find  enough  to  eat?  " 

'Possum  said,  "  I  live  on  persimmons.  They  are 
very  large  this  year,  so  I  have  all  I  want  to  eat." 

"How  do  you  get  the  persimmons?"  asked  Deer. 
"  They  grow  so  high!  " 

"  That  is  easy,"  said  'Possum.  "  I  go  to  the  top  of  a 
high  hill.  Then  I  run  down  and  strike  a  persimmon 
tree  so  hard  with  my  head  that  all  the  ripe  persimmons 
drop  on  the  ground.  Then  I  sit  there  and  eat  them." 

"  That  is  easily  done,"  said  Deer.  "  I  will  try  it. 
Now  watch  me." 

'Possum  waited.  Deer  went  to  the  top  of  a  nearby 
hill.  He  ran  down  and  struck  the  tree  with  his  head. 
'Possum  watched  him,  laughing.  He  opened  his 
mouth  so  wide  while  he  laughed  that  he  stretched  it. 
That  is  why  'Possum  has  such  a  large  mouth. 

176 


V 


Prom  Report  of  the  Bureau  of  American  Ethnology. 

SHELL  PINS  MADE  AND  USED  BY  INDIANS  OF  THE  MISSISSIPP 
VALLEY.     FOUND  IN   GRAVES. 


THE  MISSISSIPPI  VALLEY 


THE  PORCUPINE  AND  THE  TWO  SISTERS 

Menomini 

ONCE  there  dwelt  in  a  village  two  sisters,  who 
were  the  swiftest  runners   in  the  Menomini 
tribe.     Towards  the  setting  sun  was  another 
village,  two  days'  walk  away. 

The  sisters  wished  to  visit  this  village.  They  began 
to  run  at  great  speed.  At  noon  they  came  to  a  hollow 
tree  lying  across  the  trail.  In  the  snow  on  the  ground, 
there,  behold!  lay  the  trail  of  Porcupine,  leading  to  the 
hollow  tree.  One  of  them  broke  off  a  stick  and  began 
to  poke  into  the  log,  that  Porcupine  might  come  out. 
She  said,  "  Let 's  have  some  fun  with  him." 

"  No,"  said  the  other  sister,  "  he  is  a  manido.  We 
should  leave  him  alone." 

But  the  girl  with  a  stick  poked  into  the  hollow  log 
until  Porcupine  came  out.  Then  she  caught  him  and 
pulled  out  his  long  quills  and  threw  them  in  the  snow. 
The  other  said,  "  No,  it  is  cold.  Porcupine  will  need 
his  robe." 

At  last  the  sisters  ran  on.  The  village  was  still  far 
away. 

177 


MYTHS  AND  LEGENDS  OF 

Now  when  they  left  Porcupine,  he  crawled  up  a 
tall  pine  tree  until  he  reached  the  very  top.  Then  he 
faced  the  north  and  began  to  shake  his  small  rattle, 
singing  in  time  to  its  sound. 

Soon  the  sky  darkened.  Snow  began  to  fall.  Now 
the  sisters  could  not  run  rapidly  because  of  the  deepen 
ing  snow. 

One  looked  back  and  saw  Porcupine  in  the  tree  top, 
shaking  his  rattle.  She  said,  "  We  must  go  back  to  our 
own  village.  I  am  afraid  some  harm  will  overtake  us." 

The  other  answered,  "  No,  let  us  go  on.  We  need 
not  fear  Porcupine."  The  snow  became  deeper,  so 
they  rolled  up  their  blankets  as  they  ran  on. 

When  the  sun  followed  the  trail  over  the  edge  of  the 
world,  the  sisters  could  not  even  see  the  village.  Still 
they  ran  on.  Then  in  the  late  evening  they  came  to  a 
stream  which  they  knew  was  near  the  village. 

Behold!  It  was  dark.  The  snow  was  very  deep. 
The  sisters  no  longer  had  strength.  They  could  hear 
voices  in  the  village.  They  could  not  call  loud  enough 
to  be  heard.  Thus  they  perished  in  the  snow. 

One  should  never  harm  Porcupine  because  he  is  a 
manido. 


178 


THE  MISSISSIPPI  VALLEY 


THE  WOLF  AND  THE  DOG 

Cherokee 

IN  THE  beginning,  so  they  say,  Dog  was  put  on  the 
mountain  side  and  Wolf  beside  the  fire.     When 
winter  came,  Dog  could  not  stand  the  cold,  and 
drove  Wolf  away  from  the  fire.     Wolf  ran  into  the 
mountains  and  he  liked  it  so  well  that  he  has  stayed 
there  ever  since. 


179 


MYTHS  AND  LEGENDS  OF 


THE  CATFISH  AND  THE  MOOSE 

M  en  o  mini 

ONCE  when  the  Catfish  were  all  together  in  one 
place  in  the  water,  the  Catfish  chief  said,  "  I 
have  often  seen  a  moose  come  to  the  edge  of 
the  water  to  eat  grass.  Let  us  watch  for  him  and  kill 
him  and  eat  him.  He  always  comes  when  the  sun  is  a 
little  way  up  in  the  sky." 

The  Catfish  agreed  to  attack  Moose.  So  they  went 
to  watch.  They  crept  everywhere  in  among  the  grass 
and  rushes  when  Moose  came  down  to  the  water's  edge, 
slowly  picking  at  the  grass.  All  the  tribe  watched  to 
see  what  the  Catfish  chief  would  do.  He  slipped 
slowly  through  the  marshy  grass  to  where  Moose  was 
standing.  He  thrust  his  spear  into  Moose's  leg. 

Moose  said,  "  Who  has  thrust  a  spear  into  my  leg?  " 
He  looked  down  and  saw  the  Catfish  tribe.  At  once 
he  began  to  trample  upon  them  with  his  hoofs.  He 
killed  many,  but  others  escaped  and  swam  down  the 
river. 

Catfish  still  carry  spears,  but  their  heads  are  flat, 

because  Moose  tramped  them  down  in  the  mud. 

1 80 


THE  MISSISSIPPI  VALLEY 


TURTLE 

Menomini 

THERE  was  a  large  camp  in  which  Miqkano, 
the  Turtle,  took  up  his  abode.     He  built  a 
wigwam  but  he  had  no  one  to  keep  house  for 
him.     He  thought  he  needed  a  wife. 

Now  Turtle  found  a  young  woman  whom  he  liked. 
He  said,  "  I  want  you  to  be  my  wife." 

She  said,  "  How  are  you  going  to  provide  for  me? 
You  cannot  keep  up  with  the  rest  of  the  people  when 
they  move." 

Turtle  replied,  "  I  can  keep  up  with  the  best  of  your 
people." 

Then  the  young  woman  wanted  to  put  him  off.  She 
said,  "  Oh,  well,  I  will  marry  you  in  the  spring." 

Turtle  was  vexed  with  this.  At  last  he  said,  "  I  shall 
go  to  war  and  take  some  captives.  When  I  return  in 
the  spring,  I  shall  expect  you  to  marry  me." 

Then  Turtle  prepared  to  go  on  the  war  path.  He 
called  all  his  friends,  the  Turtles,  to  him.  He  left 
camp,  followed  by  a  throng  of  curious  Indians.  The 

181 


MYTHS  AND  LEGENDS  OF 

young  woman  he  wanted  to  marry  laughed  as  the 
Turtles  moved  away.  They  were  so  very  slow. 

Turtle  was  vexed  again.  He  said,  "  In  four  days 
from  now  you  will  surely  mourn  for  me  because  I  shall 
be  at  a  great  distance  from  you." 

"  Why,"  said  the  girl,  laughing,  "  in  four  days  from 
this  time  you  will  scarcely  be  out  of  sight." 

Turtle  immediately  corrected  himself,  and  said,  "  I 
did  not  mean  four  days,  but  four  years.  Then  I  shall 
return." 

Now  the  Turtles  started  off.  They  traveled  slowly 
on  until  one  day  they  found  a  great  tree  lying  across 
their  trail. 

Turtle  said,  "  This  we  cannot  pass  unless  we  go 
around  it.  That  would  take  too  long.  What  shall 
we  do?" 

Some  said,  "  Let  us  burn  a  hole  through  the  trunk," 
but  in  this  they  did  not  succeed. 

Therefore  they  had  to  turn  back  home,  but  it  was  a 
long  time  before  they  came  near  the  Indian  village 
again.  They  wanted  to  appear  as  successful  warriors, 
so  as  they  came  near,  they  set  up  the  war  song.  The 
Indians  heard  them.  They  at  once  ran  out  to  see  the 
scalps  and  the  spoils.  But  when  they  came  near,  the 
Turtles  each  seized  an  Indian  by  the  arm  and  said, 

"  We  take  you  our  prisoners.  You  are  our  spoils." 

182 


THE  MISSISSIPPI  VALLEY 

The  Indians  who  were  captured  in  this  way  were 
very  angry.  Now  the  Turtle  chief  had  captured  the 
young  woman  he  said  he  was  going  to  marry.  He  said 
to  the  Indian  girl,  "  Now  that  I  have  you  I  will  keep 
you." 

Now  it  was  necessary  to  organize  a  dance  to  cele 
brate  the  victory  over  the  Indians.  Everyone  dressed 
in  his  best  robe  and  beads.  Turtle  sang, 

"  Whoever  comes  near  me  will  die,  will  die, 
will  die!"  and  the  others  danced  around  him  in  a 
circle.  At  once  the  Indians  became  alarmed.  Each 
one  fled  to  his  own  lodge,  in  the  village.  Turtle  also 
went  to  the  village,  but  he  arrived  much  later  because 
he  could  not  travel  so  fast. 

Someone  said  to  him,  "  That  girl  has  married 
another  man." 

"  Is  that  true?  "  stormed  Turtle.  "  Let  me  see  the 
man." 

So  he  went  to  that  wigwam.  He  called,  "  I  am 
going  for  the  woman  who  promised  to  be  my  wife." 

Her  husband  said,  "  Here  comes  Turtle.  Now  what 
is  to  be  done?  " 

"  I  shall  take  care  of  that,"  said  his  wife. 

Turtle  came  in  and  seized  her.  He  said,  "  Come 
along  with  me.  You  belong  to  me." 

She  pulled  back.  She  said,  "  You  broke  your 

183 


MYTHS  AND  LEGENDS  OF 

promise."  The  husband  said  also,  "  Yes,  you  promised 
to  go  to  war  and  bring  back  some  prisoners.  You  failed 
to  do  so." 

Turtle  said,  "  I  did  go.  I  returned  with  many  pris 
oners."  Then  he  picked  up  the  young  woman  and 
carried  her  off. 

Now  when  Turtle  arrived  at  his  own  wigwam,  the 
young  woman  went  at  once  to  a  friend  and  borrowed 
a  large  kettle.  She  filled  it  with  water  and  set  it  on 
to  boil.  Turtle  became  afraid.  He  said,  "  What  are 
you  doing?  " 

She  said,  "  I  am  heating  some  water.  Do  you  know 
how  to  swim?  " 

"  Oh,  yes,"  said  Turtle.    "  I  can  swim." 

The  young  woman  said,  "  You  jump  in  the  water 
and  swim.  I  can  wash  your  shell." 

So  Turtle  tried  to  swim  in  the  hot  water.  Then  the 
other  Turtles,  seeing  their  chief  swimming  in  the 
kettle,  climbed  over  the  edge  and  jumped  into  the 
water.  Thus  Turtle  and  his  warriors  were  conquered. 


184 


THE  MISSISSIPPI  VALLEY 


THE  WORSHIP  OF  THE  SUN 

Ojibwa 

ENG  ago,  an  Ojibwa  Indian  and  his  wife  lived 
on  the  shores  of  Lake  Huron.  They  had  one 
son,  who  was  named  "  O-na-wut-a-qui-o,  He- 
that-catches-the-clouds." 

Now  the  boy  was  very  handsome,  and  his  parents 
thought  highly  of  him,  but  he  refused  to  make  the 
fast  of  his  tribe.  His  father  gave  him  charcoal;  yet  he 
would  not  blacken  his  face.  They  refused  him  food; 
but  he  wandered  along  the  shore,  and  ate  the  eggs  of 
birds.  One  day  his  father  took  from  him  by  force  the 
eggs  of  the  birds.  He  took  them  violently.  Then  he 
threw  charcoal  to  him.  Then  did  the  boy  blacken  his 
face  and  begin  his  fast. 

Now  he  fell  asleep.  A  beautiful  woman  came  down 
through  the  air  and  stood  beside  him.  She  said,  "  I 
have  come  for  you.  Step  in  my  trail." 

At  once  he  began  to  rise  through  the  air.  They 
passed  through  an  opening  in  the  sky,  and  he  found 
himself  on  the  Sky-plain.  There  were  flowers  on  the 
beautiful  plain,  and  streams  of  fresh,  cold  water.  The 

185 


MYTHS  AND  LEGENDS  OF 

valleys  were  green  and  fair.  Birds  were  singing.  The 
Sky-land  was  very  beautiful. 

There  was  but  one  lodge,  and  it  was  divided  into 
two  parts.  In  one  end  were  bright  and  glowing  robes, 
spears,  and  bows  and  arrows.  At  the  other  end,  the 
garments  of  a  woman  were  hung. 

The  woman  said,  "  My  brother  is  coming  and  I  must 
hide  you."  So  she  put  him  in  a  corner  and  spread 
over  him  a  broad,  shining  belt.  When  the  brother 
came  in,  he  was  very  richly  dressed,  and  glowing.  He 
took  down  his  great  pipe  and  his  tobacco. 

At  last,  he  said,  "  Nemissa,  my  elder  sister,  when 
will  you  end  these  doings?  The  Greatest  of  Spirits 
has  commanded  that  you  should  not  take  away  the 
children  of  earth.  I  know  of  the  coming  of  O-na-wut- 
a-qui-o."  Then  he  called  out,  "  Come  out  of  your 
hiding.  You  will  get  hungry  if  you  remain  there." 
When  the  boy  came  out,  he  gave  him  a  handsome  pipe 
of  red  sandstone,  and  a  bow  and  arrows. 

So  the  boy  stayed  in  the  Sky-land.  But  soon  he 
found  that  every  morning,  very  early,  the  brother  left 
the  wigwam.  He  returned  in  the  evening,  and  then 
the  sister  left  it  and  was  gone  all  night.  One  day  he 
said  to  the  brother,  "  Let  me  go  with  you."  "  Yes," 
said  the  brother,  and  the  next  morning  they  started  off. 

The  two  traveled  a  long  while  over  a  smooth  plain. 

186 


THE  MISSISSIPPI  VALLEY 

It  was  a  very  long  journey.  He  became  hungry.  At 
last  he  said,  "  Is  there  no  game?" 

"  Wait  until  we  reach  the  place  where  I  always  stop 
to  eat,"  said  the  brother.  So  they  journeyed  on.  At 
last  they  came  to  a  place  spread  over  with  fine  mats. 
It  was  near  a  hole  in  the  Sky-plain. 

The  Indian  looked  down  through  the  hole.  Below 
were  great  lakes  and  the  villages  of  his  people.  He 
could  see  in  one  place  feasting  and  dancing,  and  in 
another  a  war  party  silently  stealing  upon  the  enemy. 
In  a  green  plain  young  warriors  were  playing  ball. 

The  brother  said,  "  Do  you  see  those  children?  "  and 
he  sent  a  dart  down  from  the  Sky-plain.  At  once  a 
little  boy  fell  to  the  ground.  Then  all  the  people 
gathered  about  the  lodge  of  his  father.  The  Indian, 
looking  down  through  the  hole,  could  hear  the  she- 
she-gwan  of  the  meta,  and  the  loud  singing.  Then  Sun, 
the  brother,  called  down,  "  Send  me  up  a  white  dog." 

Immediately  a  white  dog  was  killed  by  the  medicine 
men,  and  roasted,  because  the  child's  father  ordered  a 
feast.  All  the  wise  men  and  the  medicine  men  were 

there. 

Sun  said  to  the  Indian,  "  Their  ears  are  open  and 
they  listen  to  my  voice." 

Now  the  Indians  on  the  Earth-plain  divided  the  dog, 
and  placed  pieces  on  the  bark  for  those  who  were  at 

187 


MYTHS  AND  LEGENDS  OF 

that  feast.  Then  the  master  of  the  feast  called  up, 
"  We  send  this  to  thee,  Great  Manito."  At  once  the 
roasted  dog  came  up  to  Sun  in  the  Sky-plain.  Thus 
Sun  and  the  Indian  had  food.  Then  Sun  healed  the 
boy  whom  he  had  struck  down.  Then  he  began  again 
to  travel  along  the  trail  in  the  Sky-plain,  and  they 
reached  their  wigwam  by  another  road. 

Then  O-na-wut-a-qui-o  began  to  weary  of  the  Sky- 
land.  At  last  he  said  to  Moon,  "  I  wish  to  go  home." 

Moon  said,  "  Since  you  like  better  the  care  and 
poverty  of  the  earth,  you  may  return.  I  will  take  you 
back." 

At  once  the  Indian  youth  awoke.  He  was  in  the 
very  plain  where  he  had  fallen  asleep  after  he  had 
blackened  his  face  and  begun  his  fast.  But  his  mother 
said  he  had  been  gone  a  year. 


188 


THE  MISSISSIPPI  VALLEY 


TASHKA  AND  WALO 

Choctaw  (Bayou  Lacomb) 

TASHKA  and  Walo  were  brothers.    They  lived 
a  long  while  ago,  so  they  say.    Every  morning 
they  saw  Sun  come  up  over  the  edge  of  the 
earth.    Then  he  followed  the  trail  through  the  sky. 

When  they  were  four  years  old,  they  started  to 
follow  Sun's  trail.  They  walked  all  day,  but  that  night 
when  Sun  died,  they  were  still  in  their  own  country. 
They  knew  all  the  hills  and  rivers.  Then  they  slept. 

Next  morning  they  began  again  to  follow  Sun,  but 
when  he  died  at  the  edge  of  the  earth,  they  could  still 
see  their  own  land. 

Then  they  followed  Sun  many  years.  At  last  they 
became  grown  men. 

One  day  they  reached  a  great  sea-water.  There  was 
no  land  except  the  shore  on  which  they  stood.  When 
Sun  went  down  over  the  edge  of  the  earth  that  day, 
they  saw  him  sink  into  the  waters.  Then  they  crossed 
the  sea-water,  to  the  edge.  So  they  came  to  Sun's  home. 

All  around  there  were  many  women.  The  stars  are 
women,  and  Moon  also.  Moon  is  Sun's  wife. 

189 


MYTHS  AND  LEGENDS  OF 

Moon  asked  them  how  they  had  found  their  way. 
They  were  very  far  from  their  own  land.  They  said, 
"  For  many  years  we  have  followed  Sun's  trail." 

Sun  said,  "  Do  you  know  your  way  home?  "  They 
said,  "  No."  So  Sun  took  them  up  to  the  edge  of  the 
water.  They  could  see  the  earth,  but  they  could  not 
see  their  own  land. 

Sun  asked,  "  Why  did  you  follow  me?  "  They  said, 
"  We  wished  to  see  where  you  lived." 

Sun  said,  "  I  will  send  you  home.  But  for  four  days 
you  must  not  speak  a  word  to  any  person.  If  you  do 
not  speak,  you  shall  live  long.  You  shall  have  much 
wealth." 

Then  Sun  called  to  Buzzard.  He  put  the  two 
brothers  on  Buzzard's  back.  He  said,  "  Take  them 
back  to  earth."  So  Buzzard  started  for  the  earth. 

Now  the  clouds  are  halfway  between  heaven  and 
earth.  The  wind  never  blows  above  the  clouds,  so 
they  say. 

Buzzard  flew  from  heaven  to  the  clouds.  The 
brothers  could  easily  keep  their  hold.  Then  Buzzard 
flew  from  the  clouds  to  the  earth.  But  now  Wind  blew 
them  in  all  directions.  Then  at  last  they  came  to  earth. 
They  saw  the  trees  around  their  own  village.  They 
rested  under  the  trees.  An  old  man  passing  by  knew 
them.  So  he  went  down  the  trail  and  told  their 

190 


THE  MISSISSIPPI  VALLEY 

mother.  She  at  once  hastened  to  see  them.  When  she 
met  them,  she  began  to  talk.  She  made  them  talk  to 
her.  They  told  her.  So  they  spoke  before  the  four 
days  were  ended.  Therefore  Sun  could  not  keep  his 
promise. 


191 


MYTHS  AND  LEGENDS  OF 


SUN  AND  MOON 

M  en  o  mini 

ONCE  upon  a  time,  Ke-so,  the  Sun,  and  his 
sister,  Tipa-ke-so,  the  Moon,  the  "  last-night 
sun,"  lived  together  in  a  wigwam  in  the  East. 
One  day  Sun  dressed  himself  to  go  hunting,  took  his 
bows  and  arrows,  and  left.  He  was  gone  a  long  time. 
When  he  did  not  return,  his  sister  became  frightened, 
and  came  out  into  the  sky  to  look  for  her  brother.  At 
last  he  returned,  bringing  with  him  a  bear  which  he 
had  shot. 

Moon  still  comes  up  into  the  sky  and  travels  for 
twenty  days.  Then  she  disappears,  and  for  four  days 
nothing  is  seen  of  her.  At  the  end  of  the  four  days,  she 
comes  into  the  sky  again,  and  travels  twenty  days  more. 

Sun  is  a  being  like  ourselves.  He  wears  an  otter 
skin  about  his  head. 


192 


THE  MISSISSIPPI  VALLEY 


THE  MOON  PERSON 

Biloxi 

IN  OLDEN  days,  the  Moon  Person  used  to  make 
visits  to  the  Indians.     One  day  a  child  put  out  a 
dirty  little  hand  and  made  a  black  spot  on  Moon 
Person.     Therefore    Moon    felt   ashamed    and   when 
night  came  he  disappeared.    He  went  up  above.     He 
stays  up  above  all  the  time  now,  so  they  say.     Some 
times  he  is  dressed  altogether  in  a  shining  robe,  and 
therefore  he  is  bright  at  night.    But  immediately  after 
wards  he  disappears.    You  can  still  see  the  black  spot, 
so  they  say. 


193 


MYTHS  AND  LEGENDS  OF 


THE  STAR  CREATURES 

Cherokee 

ONE  night  hunters  in  the  mountains  noticed  two 
shining   lights   moving   along   the    top    of    a 
distant  ridge.     After  a  while  the  lights  van 
ished  on  the  other  side.     Thus  they  watched  many 
nights,  talking  around  the  camp  fire. 

One  morning  they  traveled  to  the  ridge.  Then  they 
searched  long.  At  last  they  found  two  round  creatures 
covered  with  soft  fur  or  downy  feathers.  They  had 
small  heads. 

Then  the  hunters  took  these  strange  creatures  to  their 
camp.  They  watched  them.  In  the  day,  they  were 
only  balls  of  gray  fur;  only  when  the  breeze  stirred 
their  fur,  then  sparks  flew  out.  At  night  they  grew 
bright  and  shone  like  stars. 

They  kept  very  quiet.  They  did  not  stir,  so  the 
hunters  did  not  fasten  them.  One  night  they  suddenly 
rose  from  the  ground  like  balls  of  fire.  They  went 
above  the  tops  of  the  trees,  and  then  higher  until  they 
reached  the  Sky-land.  So  the  hunters  knew  they 
were  stars. 

194 


THE  MISSISSIPPI  VALLEY 


METEORS 

M  en  o  mini 

WHEN  a  star  falls  from  the  sky  it  leaves  a  fiery 
trail.     It  does  not  die.     Its  shade  goes  back 
to  its  own  place  to  shine  again.    The  Indians 
sometimes  find  the  small  stars  where  they  have  fallen 
in  the  grass. 


195 


MYTHS  AND  LEGENDS  OF 


THE  AURORA  BOREALIS 

Menomini 

IN  THE  Land  of  the  North  Wind  live  the  mana- 
baiwok,  the  giants  of  whom  our  old  people  tell. 
The  manabaiwok  are  our  friends,  but  we  do  not 
see  them  any  more.    They  are  great  hunters  and  fisher 
men.    Whenever  they  come  out  with  their  torches  to 
spear  fish,  we  know  it  because  the  sky  is  bright  over 
that  place. 


196 


THE  MISSISSIPPI  VALLEY 


THE  WEST  WIND 

Chitimacha 

A  LITTLE  boy  named  Ustapu  was  one  day  lying 
on  the  shore  of  a  lake.     His  people  had  just 
reached  the  shore  from  the  prairies,  but  the 
wind  was  too  high  for  them  to  cross. 

As  he  lay  there,  he  suddenly  saw  another  boy  fanning 
himself  with  a  fan  of  turkey  wings.  This  was  the  boy 
who  made  the  West  Wind.  Ustapu  said  to  his  tribe, 
"  I  can  break  the  arm  of  the  boy  who  makes  West 
Wind."  But  they  laughed  at  him.  He  took  a  shell 
and  threw  it  at  the  boy  and  struck  his  left  arm. 

Therefore  when  the  west  wind  is  high,  the  Indians 
say  that  the  boy  is  using  his  strong  arm.  When  the 
west  wind  is  a  gentle  breeze,  they  say  he  is  using  his 
injured  arm.  Before  that,  the  west  wind  had  always 
been  so  strong  it  was  very  disagreeable,  because  Wind- 
maker  could  use  both  arms.  Now  it  is  much  gentler. 

The  Indians  think  this  boy  also  made  the  other 
winds. 


197 


MYTHS  AND  LEGENDS  OF 


THE  LONE  LIGHTNING 

Ojibiva 

AT  ONE  time  an  orphan  boy  whose  uncle  was 
very  unkind  to  him  ran  away.  He  ran  a  long 
way.  He  ran  until  night.  Then  because  he 
was  afraid  of  wild  animals,  he  climbed  into  a  tree  in 
the  forest.  It  was  a  high  pine  tree,  and  he  climbed  into 
the  forked  branches  of  it. 

A  person  came  to  him  from  the  upper  sky.  He  said, 
"  Follow  me.  Step  in  my  trail.  I  have  seen  how 
badly  you  are  treated."  Then  at  once  as  the  boy 
stepped  in  his  trail,  he  rose  higher  and  higher  into  the 
upper  sky.  Then  the  person  put  twelve  arrows  into 
his  hands.  He  said,  "  There  are  evil  manitoes  in  the 
sky.  Go  to  war  against  them.  Shoot  them  with  your 
bow  and  arrows." 

The  boy  went  into  the  northern  part  of  the  upper 
sky.  Soon  he  saw  a  manito  and  shot  at  him.  But  that 
one's  magic  was  too  strong.  Therefore  the  shot  failed. 
There  was  only  a  single  streak  of  lightning  in  the 
northern  sky,  yet  there  was  no  storm,  and  not  even  a 

cloud. 

198 


From  Report  of  the  Bureau  of  American  Ethnology. 

OJIBWA  DANCER'S  BEADED 
MEDICINE  BAG. 


THE  MISSISSIPPI  VALLEY 

Eleven  times  the  boy  thus  failed  to  kill  a  manito,  and 
thus  he  had  but  one  arrow  left.  He  held  this  in  his 
hands  a  long  while,  looking  around.  Now  these  evil 
manitoes  had  very  strong  medicine.  They  could 
change  their  form  in  a  moment.  But  they  feared  the 
boy's  arrows  because  they  were  also  strong  magic.  And 
because  they  had  been  given  to  him  by  a  good  manito, 
they  had  power  to  kill. 

At  last  the  boy  saw  the  chief  of  the  evil  manitoes. 
He  drew  his  bow  and  shot  his  last  arrow;  but  the  chief 
saw  it  coming.  At  once  he  changed  himself  into  a  rock. 
And  the  arrow  buried  itself  in  a  crack  of  the  rock. 
The  chief  was  very  angry.  He  cried,  "  Now  your 
arrows  are  all  gone!  And  because  you  have  dared  to 
shoot  at  me,  you  shall  become  the  trail  of  your  arrow." 

Thus  at  once  he  changed  the  boy  into  Nazhik-a- 
wawa,  the  Lone  Lightning. 


199 


MYTHS  AND  LEGENDS  OF 


THE  THUNDERS 

Cherokee 

THE   Great  Thunder   and   his   sons,   the   two 
Thunder  boys,  live  far  in  the  West,  above  the 
Sky-plain.    The  lightning  and  the  rainbow  are 
their  beautiful  robes.    Medicine  men  pray  to  Thunder, 
and  call  him  the  Red  Man  because  there  is  so  much 
red  in  his  dress. 

There  are  other  thunders  that  live  lower  down,  in 
the  cliffs  and  mountains,  and  under  waterfalls.  They 
travel  on  bridges  from  one  peak  to  another,  but  the 
Indian  cannot  see  these  bridges.  The  Great  Thunders 
above  the  sky  are  kind  and  helpful  when  we  make 
medicine  to  them,  but  the  others  are  always  plotting 
mischief.  One  must  not  point  to  the  rainbow. 


200 


THE  MISSISSIPPI  VALLEY 


T 


MONTHS  OF  THE  YEAR 

Natchez 

HE  Natchez  begin  the  year  in  March,  each 
being  a  lunar  month.  Therefore  there  are 
thirteen. 

1  Deer  month 

2  Strawberry  month 

3  Little  Corn  month 

4  Watermelon  month 

5  Peach  month  (July) 

6  Mulberry  month 

7  Great  Corn  month  (maize) 

8  Turkey  month  (October) 

9  Bison  month 

10  Bear  month 

11  Cold  meal  month  (January) 

12  Chestnut  month 

13  Nut  month  (nuts  broken  to  make  bread,  at  the 

close  of  winter,  when  supplies  run  low)1 


201 


MYTHS  AND  LEGENDS  OF 


WHY  THE  OAKS  AND  SUMACHS  REDDEN 

Fox 

ONCE  on  a  time,  long  ago,  when  it  was  winter, 
so  they  say,  it  snowed  for  the  first  time.  And 
while  the  very  first  snow  lay  on  the  ground, 
so  they  say,  three  men  went  early  in  the  morning  to 
hunt  for  game. 

In  a  thick  growth  of  shrub  on  a  side  hill,  a  bear  had 
entered  in.  They  could  see  the  trail  in  the  snow.  One 
went  in  after  him,  and  started  him  going  in  flight. 

"  Away  from  The-place-whence-comes-the-cold  he 
is  making  fast! "  he  called  to  the  others. 

But  the  one  who  had  gone  round  by  way  of  The- 
place-from-whence-comes-the-cold,  cried,  "  In  the 
direction  From-whence-comes-the-source-of-midday  is 
he  hurrying  away."  Thus  he  said. 

The  third,  who  had  gone  round  by  way  of  The- 
place-whence-comes-the-source-of-midday,  cried  out, 
"  Towards-the-place-where-the-sun-f  alls-down  is  he 
hastening." 

Back  and  forth  for  a  long  while  did  they  keep  the 
bear  fleeing  from  one  to  another.  After  a  while,  one  of 

202 


THE  MISSISSIPPI  VALLEY 

the  hunters  who  was  coming  behind  looked  down. 
Behold  1  The  earth  below  was  green.  For  it  is  really 
true,  so  they  say,  that  up  into  the  Sky-land  were  they 
led  away  by  the  bear.  While  they  were  chasing  him 
about  the  dense  growth  of  shrubs,  that  was  surely  the 
time  that  up  into  the  Sky-land  they  went. 

Then  quickly  he  called,  "  Oh,  Union-of-rivers,  let  us 
turn  back.  Truly  into  the  Sky-land  is  he  leading  us 
away."  So  he  called  to  Union-of-rivers,  but  no 
answer  did  he  receive  from  that  one. 

Now  Union-of-rivers,  who  went  running  between 
the  man  ahead  and  the  man  behind,  had  a  little  puppy, 
Hold-tight. 

Now  in  the  autumn,  they  overtook  the  bear.  Then 
they  slew  him.  After  they  had  slain  him,  many  boughs 
of  an  oak  did  they  cut,  also  of  sumach.  So  with  the 
bear  lying  on  top  of  the  boughs,  they  skinned  him,  and 
cut  up  the  meat.  Then  they  began  to  scatter  the  pieces 
in  all  directions. 

Towards  The-place-whence-comes-the-dawn-of-day 
they  hurled  the  head.  In  winter,  when  dawn  is  nearly 
breaking,  stars  appear  which  are  that  head,  so  they  say. 

Also  to  the  east  flung  they  his  backbone.  In  winter 
time,  certain  stars  lie  close  together.  These  are  the 
backbone,  so  they  say. 

And  it  has  also  been  told  of  the  bear  and  the  hunters 

203 


MYTHS  AND  LEGENDS  OF 

that  the  group  of  four  stars  in  front  are  the  bear  and 
the  three  hunters.  And  between  the  front  star  and  the 
star  behind,  a  tiny  little  star  hangs.  That  is  the  little 
dog,  Hold-tight,  which  was  the  pet  of  Union-of-rivers. 
And  so  often  as  autumn  comes,  the  oaks  and  sumachs 
redden  at  the  leaf  because  their  boughs  were  stained 
with  the  blood  of  the  bear. 


204 


THE  MISSISSIPPI  VALLEY 


THE  MAN  OF  ICE 

Cherokee 

ONCE  when  the  people  were  burning  the  woods 
in  the  fall,  a  poplar  tree  began  to  burn.     It 
burned  until  the  fire  went  down  into  the  roots ; 
and  then  down  into  the  ground.    It  burned  and  burned 
until  there  was  a  great  hole  in  the  ground,  and  the 
people  began  to  be  afraid  the  whole  world  would  burn. 
They  tried  to  put  out  the  fire,  but  it  was  too  deep  in 
the  ground. 

At  last  someone  said,  "  There  is  a  man  living  in  a 
house  of  ice,  far  toward  the  Frozen  Land.  He  can  put 
out  the  fire." 

So  messengers  were  sent.  They  traveled  many 
sleeps  until  they  came  to  the  house  of  the  Man  of  Ice. 
He  was  a  little  fellow  with  long  braids  of  hair,  hanging 
to  the  ground. 

He  said  at  once,  "  Oh,  yes,  I  can  help  you,"  and 
began  to  unbraid  his  hair.  When  it  was  all  loose,  he 
took  it  in  one  hand  and  struck  the  ends  against  the 
other  hand.  The  messengers  felt  a  wind  blow  against 
their  cheeks. 

205 


MYTHS  AND  LEGENDS  OF 

He  struck  the  ends  of  his  hair  again  across  his  hand. 
A  light  rain  began  to  fall.  A  third  time  he  struck  the 
open  hand  with  his  hair.  Sleet  began  to  fall  with  the 
rain.  The  fourth  time,  and  large  hailstones  fell. 
They  fell  as  though  they  came  out  of  the  ends  of  his 
hair. 

"  Now  go  home,"  said  the  medicine  man.  "  I  shall 
be  there  tomorrow." 

So  the  messengers  returned.  They  found  the  people 
standing  around  the  burning  hole. 

The  next  day,  as  the  people  stood  again  at  the  burn 
ing  hole,  watching  the  fire,  a  light  wind  came  from 
the  north.  They  were  afraid  because  they  knew  the 
medicine  man  had  sent  it.  The  wind  made  the  flames 
sweep  higher.  Then  a  light  rain  began  to  fall.  It  but 
made  the  fire  hotter.  Then  came  sleet  with  a  heavy 
rain,  and  hail.  The  flames  died  down  but  clouds  of 
smoke  and  steam  arose. 

Then  the  people  fled  to  their  wigwams  for  shelter. 
A  great  wind  arose  which  blew  the  hail  into  the  depths 
of  the  fire  and  piled  up  a  great  heap  of  hailstones. 
Then  the  fire  died  out  and  the  smoke  ceased. 

Now  when  the  people  went  to  look  again — a  lake 
stood  where  flames  had  been.  Yet  from  below  the 
water  came  the  sound  of  embers  still  crackling. 


206 


THE  MISSISSIPPI  VALLEY 


THE  NUNNEHI 

Cherokee 

THE  Nunnehi  are  The  People  Who  Live  Any 
where.    They  were  spirit  people  who  lived  in 
the  highlands  of  the  Cherokee  country,  and 
they  liked  the  bald  mountain  peaks  where  no  timber 
ever  grows. 

No  one  could  see  the  Nunnehi  except  when  the 
spirit-people  let  themselves  be  seen,  and  then  they 
looked  and  acted  just  like  other  Indians.  But  they  like 
music  and  dancing,  and  hunters  in  the  mountains  often 
could  hear  the  dance  songs  and  the  drum;  yet  when 
they  went  towards  the  sound,  it  would  suddenly  shift 
behind  them  or  in  some  other  direction.  They  were  a 
friendly  people,  too.  Some  Indians  have  thought  they 
were  the  same  as  the  Little  People;  but  those  are  no 
larger  than  little  children. 

Once  a  boy  was  with  the  Nunnehi.  When  he  was 
about  ten  or  twelve  years  old,  he  was  playing  one  day 
near  the  river,  shooting  at  a  mark  with  his  bow  and 
arrow.  Then  he  started  to  build  a  fish  trap  in  the 

207 


MYTHS  AND  LEGENDS  OF 

water.  While  he  was  piling  up  the  stones  in  two  long 
walls,  a  man  came  and  stood  on  the  bank. 

The  man  said,  "  What  are  you  doing?  "  The  boy 
told  him.  The  man  said,  "  That's  pretty  hard  work. 
You  ought  to  rest  awhile.  Come  and  take  a  walk  up 
the  river." 

The  boy  said,  "  No.  I  am  going  to  the  lodge  to  get 
something  to  eat." 

"  Come  to  my  lodge,"  said  the  man.  "  I'll  give  you 
good  food  and  bring  you  home  again  in  the  morning." 

So  the  boy  went  to  the  man's  lodge  with  him.  They 
went  up  the  river.  The  man's  wife  and  all  the  other 
people  were  glad  to  see  him.  They  gave  him  plenty 
to  eat.  While  he  was  eating,  a  man  that  the  boy  knew 
very  well  indeed  came  in  and  spoke  to  him.  So  he 
did  not  feel  strange. 

Afterwards  he  played  with  the  other  children  and 
slept  there  that  night.  In  the  morning,  their  father 
took  him  down  the  trail.  They  went  down  a  trail  that 
had  a  cornfield  on  one  side  and  a  peach  orchard  on  the 
other,  until  they  came  to  a  cross  trail.  Then  the  man 
said, 

"  Go  along  this  trail  across  that  ridge  and  you  will 
come  to  the  river  road  that  will  take  you  straight  to 
your  home." 

So  he  went  back  to  his  house.  The  boy  went  down 

208 


THE  MISSISSIPPI  VALLEY 

the  trail,  but  soon  he  turned  and  looked  back.  There 
was  no  cornfield  there;  there  were  no  peach  trees  or 
house  —  nothing  but  trees  on  the  mountain  side.  Still 
he  was  not  frightened.  He  went  on  until  he  came  to 
the  river  trail  in  sight  of  his  home.  He  saw  many 
people  standing  about  talking.  When  they  saw  him, 
they  ran  towards  him  shouting,  "  Here  he  is!  He  is 
not  drowned  or  killed  in  the  mountains! " 

Then  they  said,  "  Where  have  you  been?  We  have 
been  looking  for  you  ever  since  yesterday  noon." 

"  A  man  took  me  over  to  his  house,  just  across  the 
ridge,"  said  the  boy.  "  I  thought  Udsi-skala  would 
tell  you  where  I  was." 

Udsi-skala  said,  "  I  have  not  seen  you.  I  was  out  all 
day  in  my  canoe  looking  for  you.  It  was  one  of  the 
Nunnehi  who  made  himself  look  like  me." 

His  mother  said,  "  You  say  you  had  plenty  to  eat 
there?" 

"  Yes,"  said  the  boy. 

"There  is  no  house  there,"  his  mother  answered. 
"  There  is  nothing  there  but  trees  and  rocks,  but  we 
hear  a  drum  sometimes  in  the  big  bald  peak  above. 
The  people  you  saw  were  the  Nunnehi." 


209 


MYTHS  AND  LEGENDS  OF 


THE  LITTLE  PEOPLE 

Cherokee 

THERE  is  another  race  of  spirits,  the  Little 
People.  They  live  in  rock  caves  and  in  the 
mountain  side.  They  hardly  reach  to  a  man's 
knee,  but  they  are  very  handsome,  with  long  hair  fall 
ing  to  the  ground.  They  work  wonders,  and  are  fond 
of  music.  They  spend  half  their  time  drumming  and 
dancing.  If  their  drum  is  heard  in  lonely  places  in 
the  mountains,  it  is  not  safe  to  follow  it.  They  do  not 
like  to  be  disturbed  and  they  throw  a  spell  over  people 
who  annoy  them.  And  even  when  such  a  person  at 
last  gets  back  home,  he  seems  dazed. 

Sometimes  the  Little  People  come  near  a  house  at 
night,  but  even  if  people  hear  them  talking,  they  must 
not  go  out  And  in  the  morning,  the  corn  is  gathered, 
or  the  field  cleared,  as  if  a  great  many  people  had  been 
at  work. 

When  a  hunter  finds  a  knife  in  the  woods,  he  must 
say,  "  Little  People,  I  want  to  take  this,"  because  it 
may  belong  to  them.  Otherwise,  they  may  throw 
stones  at  him  as  he  goes  home. 

210 


THE  MISSISSIPPI  VALLEY 

There  are  other  spirits.  The  Water  Dwellers  live 
in  the  water  and  fishermen  pray  to  them. 

There  are  also  the  hunter  spirits  who  are  very  hand 
some.  Sometimes  they  help  the  hunters,  but  when 
someone  trips  and  falls,  we  know  one  of  these  hunter 
spirits  tripped  him  up. 

Then  there  is  Det-sata.  Det-sata  was  once  a  boy 
who  ran  away  from  his  home.  He  has  a  great  many 
children  who  are  all  just  like  him  and  have  his  name. 
When  a  flock  of  birds  flies  up  suddenly  as  if  frightened, 
it  is  because  Det-sata  is  chasing  them.  He  is  mis 
chievous  and  sometimes  hides  an  arrow  from  the  bird 
hunter  who  may  have  shot  it  off  into  a  perfectly  clear 
space,  but  looks  and  looks  without  finding  it. 

Then  the  hunter  says,  "  Det-sata,  you  have  my  arrow. 
If  you  do  not  give  it  up,  I'll  scratch  you."  When  he 
looks  again,  he  finds  it. 


211 


MYTHS  AND  LEGENDS  OF 


WAR  SONG 

0 jib  w a 
From  the  place  of  the  South 

They  come. 
From  the  place  of  the  South 

They  come. 
The  birds  of  war — 
Hear  the  sound  of  their  passing  screams  in  the  air. 


212 


THE  MISSISSIPPI  VALLEY 


THE  WAR  MEDICINE 

Cherokee 

SOME  warriors  had  medicine  to  change  them 
selves  into  any  animal  or  bird  they  wished. 

Long  ago,  a  warrior  coming  in  from  the  hunt, 
found  enemies  attacking  the  wigwams  of  his  people 
across  the  river.  The  men  were  away  hunting.  On 
the  river  bank,  he  found  a  mussel  shell.  With  his 
medicine  he  changed  the  shell  into  a  canoe.  Thus  he 
crossed  the  river,  and  went  to  his  grandmother's  wig 
wam.  She  sat  with  her  head  in  a  blanket,  waiting  to 
be  killed.  At  once  he  changed  her  into  a  small  gourd, 
and  fastened  her  to  his  belt.  Then  he  climbed  a  tree 
and  became  a  swamp  woodcock.  Thus  he  flew  back 
across  the  river.  So  the  warrior  and  his  grandmother 
escaped. 


213 


MYTHS  AND  LEGENDS  OF 


THE  COMING  OF  THE  WHITE  MAN 

Wyandot 

NOW  in  early  days,  the  Wyandots  lived  about 
the  St.  Lawrence  River,  in  the  mountains  to 
the  eastward.  They  were  the  first  tribe  of  old. 
They  had  the  first  chieftainship.  The  chief  said  to  his 
nephews,  the  Lenapees, 

"  Go  down  to  the  seacoast  and  look.  If  you  see  any 
thing,  come  and  tell  me." 

Now  the  Lenapees  had  a  village  by  the  sea.  They 
often  looked  out,  but  they  saw  nothing.  One  day 
something  came.  When  it  came  near  the  land,  it 
stopped.  Then  the  people  were  afraid.  They  ran  into 
the  woods.  The  next  day  two  Indians  went  quietly 
to  look.  It  was  lying  there  in  the  water.  Then  some 
thing  just  like  it  came  out  of  it  and  walked  on  two  legs 
over  the  water.1  When  it  came  to  the  land,  two  men 
stepped  out  of  it.  They  were  different  from  us.  They 
made  signs  for  the  Lenapees  to  come  out  of  the  woods. 
They  gave  presents.  Then  the  Lenapees  gave  them 
skin  clothes. 

1 A  row  boat. 

214 


THE  MISSISSIPPI  VALLEY 

The  white  men  went  away.  They  came  back  many 
times.  They  asked  the  Indians  for  room  to  put  a  chair 
on  the  land.  So  it  was  given.  But  soon  they  began  to 
pull  the  lacing  out  of  the  bottom  and  to  walk  inland 
with  it.  They  have  not  yet  come  to  the  end  of  the 
string. 


215 


FOURTEEN  DAY  USE 

TWOTDT 

This  book  is  due  on  the  last  date  stamped  below 
on  the  date  to  which  renewed  ' 

subject  to  immediate  recall. 


or 


LD  21-100m-2  '55 
(Bl39s22)476 


YC  27823 


298942 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY 


